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STATE  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DEPARTMENT  OF  NATURAL  RESOURCES 

FRED  G.  STEVENOT,  Director 

DIVISION  OF  MINES  AND  MINING 

FERRY  BUILDING,  SAN  FRANCISCO 
LLOYD  L.  ROOT  ,,  State  Mineralogist 


San  Francisco] 


BULLETIN  No.  100 


[September,  1927 


CALIFORNIA 
MINERAL  PRODUCTION 

FOR  1926 


55185 


HNr/E^SITY  .^. 


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VdUVi^' 


CALIFOBNIA  STATE  PRINTING  OFFICE 
SACRAMENTO,  1037 


LIBRARY 


UNITED  STATES 


DEPARTMENT  O^  AGRICULT 


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STATE  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DEPARTMENT  OF  NATURAL  RESOURCES 

FRED  G.  STEVENOT,  Director 

DIVISION  OF  MINES  AND  MINING 

FERRY  BUILDING,  SAN  FRANCISCO 
LLOYD  L.  ROOT  State  Mineralogist 

San  Francisco]  BULLETIN  No.  100  [September,  1927 


CALIFORNIA 
MINERAL  PRODUCTION 

FOR  1926 


By 

WALTER  W.  BRADLEY 


LIBRARY 

55185  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFOR^flA 

DAVIS 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER    OP    TRANSMITTAL, 7 

INTRODUCTION 9 

Chapter    I. 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  IN  CALIFORNIA  DURING  THE 

YEAR   OF    1926 11 

Tabulation  of  the  Mineral  Production,  Showing  Comparative  Amounts 

AND  Values — 1925   and   1926 '—  14 

Table  Showing  Comparative  Mineral  Production  of  the  Various  Coun- 
ties IN  California  for  1925  and  1926 16 

Total  Production^  1887-1926 16 

Chapter   II. 

FUELS    (PIYDROCARBONS)  — 

Introductory    18 

Coal    18 

Natural    Gas 19 

Petroleum 22 

Chapter  III. 

metals- 
Introductory    37 

Aluminum   40 

Antimony    40 

Arsenic    41 

Beryllium   41 

Bismuth 42 

Cadmium  43 

Cobalt    43 

Copper 43 

Gold 46 

Iridium.     (See  Platinum.) 

Iron 51 

Lead 51 

Manganese 53 

Molybdenum   54 

Nickel    55 

Osmium    55 

Palladium   55 

Platinum     . 55 

Quicksilver    57 

Silver   59 

Tin     62 

Tungsten 62 

Vanadium    64 

Zinc 64 

Chapter  IV. 

STRUCTURAL   MATERIALS— 

Introductory    66 

Asphalt 67 

Bituminous  Rock 67 

Brick  and  Hollow  Tile 68 

Cement 71 

Chromite 74 

Granite    75 


4  CONTENTS. 

Chapter   IV — Continued. 
STRUCTURAL  MATERIALS — Continued.  Page 

Limb    "^8 

Magnbsite    79 

Maeblb    82 

Onyx  and  Travertine ^^ 83 

Sandstone  83 

Serpentine    84 

Slate 85 

Stone — Miscellaneous    86 

Paving    Bloclfs 87 

Grinding  mill  pebbles 87 

Sand   and   Gravel 88 

Crushed  rock 89 

Chapter  V. 

INDUSTRIAL  MATERIALS — 

Introductory    93 

Asbestos 94 

Barytes    94 

Clay — Pottery , 95 

Dolomite   98 

Feldspar    99 

Fluorspar    100 

Fuller's  Earth 100 

Gems   ^ 102 

Graphite    104 

Gypsum     105 

Infusorial  and  Diatomaceous  Earths 106 

Limestone   107 

Lithia    108 

Mica    109 

Mineral   Paint   110 

Mineral  Water 110 

Phosphates    112 

Pumice  and  Volcanic  Ash 112 

Pyrites 113 

Shale   Oil 114 

Silica — Sand  and  Quartz 115 

SiLLIMANITE ANDALUSITE CyANITE      GrOUP 116 

SOAPSTONE  AND  TaLC 117 

Strontium 119 

Sulphur    119 

Chapter    VI. 
salines- 
Introductory 121 

Borates    121 

Bromine     : 123 

Calcium    Chloride   123 

Magnesium   Salts _ 125 

Nitrates    125 

Potash   126 

Salt 127 

Soda    127 

Chapter   VII. 

MINERAL  PRODUCTION   OF  CALIFORNIA   BY   COUNTIES — 

Introductory    129 

Alameda 130 

Alpine    130 

Amador 130 

Butte    131 

Calaveras    131 


CONTENTS.  5 

Chapter  VII — Continued. 

MINERAL  PRODUCTION  OF  CALIFORNIA  BY  COUNTIES — Continued.          Page 
Colusa    132 

Contra  Costa  132 

Del  Norte 132 

El  Dorado 133 

Fresno    - 133 

Glenn 134 

Humboldt 134 

Imperial     135 

Into 135 

Kern   136 

Ktngs    136 

Lake    137 

Lassen    137 

Los  Angeles 137 

Madera 138 

Marin    138 

Mariposa    139 

Mendocino 139 

Merced    139 

Modoc   — 140 

Mono 140 

Monterey 141 

Napa    141 

Nevada    141 

Orange    142 

Placer    142 

Plumas    143 

Riverside    143 

Sacramento    144 

San  Benito 144 

San    Bernardino    145 

San   Diego   145 

San  Francisco 146 

San  Joaquin     146 

San  Luis  Opispo 146 

San  Mateo 147 

Sant.\    Barbara 147 

Santa    Clara ; 148 

Santa  Cruz 148 

Shasta    148 

Sierra 149 

Siskiyou 149 

Solano    150 

Sonoma     150 

Stanislaus    151 

Sutter     151 

Tehama    151 

Trinity 152 

Tulare    .- 152 

Tuolumne    152 

Ventura 153 

Yolo     153 

Yuba    153 

APPENDIX. 

MINING  BUREAU  ACT 155 

DEPARTMENT   OF  NATURAL   RESOURCES   ACT 158 

PUBLICATIONS   OF   THE    SATE   MINING   BUREAU 160 

INDEX 169 


6  CONTENTS. 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Photos. 

Page 

Buena  Vista  Coal   Mine,  near  lone.   Amador  County IS 

View  of  Mother  Lode   in  Amador  County 47 

Storage  bins  and  100-ton  flotation  plant    (zinc  and  lead),  Santa  Catalina  Island, 

-     California ^ 66 

Plant  of  lone  Brick  Company,  Amador  County 69 

Raw  limestone  storage  pile  at  Pacific  Portland  Cement  Company's  plant.  Cement, 

Solano    County 72 

E.  B.  &  A.  L.  Stone  Company's  sand  pit,  near  Antioch,  Contra  Costa  County 88 

Harvey  Clay  Pit  of  Pacific  Portland  Cement  Company,  near  Carbondale,  Amador 

County    96 

Charts  and   Maps. 

Outline  map  of  California,  showing  location  of  oil  fields  and  districts 32 

Chart  showing  current  trend  of  world  production  of  major  nonferrous  metals 39 

Chart  showing  prices  of  electrolytic  copper 44 

Chart  showing  prices  of  common  lead 52 

Chart  showing  prices  of  bar  silver 60 

Chart  showing  prices  of  slab  zinc 65 

Chart    showing    relative    parallelism    between    cement    production    and    that    of 

crushed  rock,   sand  and  gravel 73 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 

September,  1927. 

To  His  Excellency,  The  Honorable  C.  C.  Young, 
Governor  of  the  State  of  California. 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  herewith  transmit  Bulletin  No.  100  of  the 
State  Division  of  Mines  and  Mining,  being  the  annual  report  of  the 
statistics  of  the  mineral  production  of  California. 

The  remarkable  variety,  total  valuation,  and  wide  distribution  of 
many  of  our  minerals  revealed  herein  show  California's  importance 
as  a  producer  of  commercial  minerals  among  the  states  of  the  Union. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

Lloyd  L.  Root, 
State  Mineralogist. 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  the  endeavor  of  the  staff  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau  (now 
Division  of  Mines  and  Mining  of  the  State  Department  of  Natural 
Resources),  in  these  annual  reports  of  the  mineral  industries  of  Cali- 
fornia, to  so  compile  the  statistics  of  production  that  they  will  be  of 
actual  use  to  producers  and  to  those  interested  in  the  utilization  of  the 
mineral  products  of  our  state,  while  at  the  same  time  keeping  the 
individual's  data  confidential.  In  addition  to  the  mere  figures  of  out- 
put, we  have  included  descriptions  of  the  uses  and  characteristics  of 
many  of  the  materials,  as  well  as  a  brief  mention  of  their  occurrences. 

The  compilation  of  accurate  and  dependable  figures  is  an  extremely 
difficult  undertaking,  and  the  State  Mineralogist  takes  the  opportunity 
of  here  expressing  his  appreciation  of  the  cooperation  of  the  producers 
in  making  this  work  possible.  A  fuller  appreciation  of  the  value  of 
earh'  responses  to  the  requests  sent  out  in  January  will  result  in  earlier 
completion  of  the  manuscript.  Statistics  lose  much  of  their  value  if 
their  publication  is  unnecessarily  delayed. 

Some  of  the  data  relative  to  properties  and  uses  of  many  of  the 

minerals  herein  described  are  repeated  from  preceding  reports,  as  it 

is  intended  that  this  annual  statistical  bulletin  shall  be  somewhat  of  a 

compendium  of  information  on  California's  commercial  minerals  and 

their  utilization. 

Lloyd  L.  Root, 
State  Mineralogist. 


MINERAL  INDUSTRY,  CALIFORNIA,  1926. 


DATA   COMPILED   FROM   DIRECT   RETURNS   FROM    PRO- 
DUCERS IN  ANSWER  TO   INQUIRIES  SENT  OUT  BY 
THE  CALIFORNIA  STATE  DIVISION  OF  MINES 
AND    MINING,    FERRY    BUILDING,     SAN 
FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  ONE. 

The  total  value  of  the  mineral  output  of  California  for  the  year  1926 
was  $450,330,856,  being  an  increase  of  $15,811,196  over  the  1925  total 
of  $434,519,660.  There  were  fifty-six  different  mineral  substances, 
exclusive  of  a  segregation  of  the  various  stones  grouped  under  gems; 
and  all  of  the  fifty-eight  counties  of  the  state  contributed  to  the  list. 

As  revealed  by  the  data  following,  the  salient  features  of  1926  com- 
pared with  the  preceding  year  were :  The  considerable  increase  in  value 
of  both  the  petroleum  and  natural  gas  yields;  and  material  advances 
also  made  by  miscellaneous  stone,  zinc,  cement,  soda,  salt,  and  pottery 
clays.  Decreases  were  registered  by  gold,  copper,  silver,  brick,  granite, 
magnesite.  There  were  a  number  of  other  minor  variations.  The  net 
result  was  an  increase  in  the  grand  total  for  all  groups  of  nearly 
sixteen  million  dollars,  as  stated  above.  Petroleum  accounted  for  an 
increase  of  $14,936,848  in  total  value,  due  to  advanced  prices,  in  spite 
of  a  drop  from  232,492,147  barrels  to  224,673,281  barrels  in  quantity, 
or  a  difference  of  7,818,866  barrels. 

Of  the  metals:  Zinc  increased  from  11.546  602  pounds,  worth  $877,- 
542,  to  20,447,559  pounds,  worth  $1,533,568,  due  to  heavy  shipments  of 
concentrates  to  Belgium ;  lead  from  7,352,422  pounds  and  $639,661  to 
8,067,873  pounds  and  $645,429.  Copper  decreased  from  46.968,499 
pounds,  valued  at  $6,669,527,  to  33,521,544  pounds  and  $4,693,014; 
gold  from  $13,065,330  to  $11,923,481 ;  silver  from  3,054,416  fine  ounces, 
worth  $2,119,765,  to  2,022,460  fine  ounces  and  $1,262,015 ;  quicksilver 
from  7683  flasks  and  $621,831  to  5892  flasks  and  $516,382,  though  the 
average  price  per  flask  received  by  the  producers  advanced  from  $80.81 
for  1925  to  $87.64  for  the  year  1926.  Though  the  gold  yield  decreased 
a  million  dollars  in  value,  California  continues  to  account  for  approxi- 
mately 30  per  cent  of  the  gold  output  of  the  United  States. 

Of  the  structural  group  :  Miscellaneous  stone  advanced  from  $17,409,- 
854  to  $19,859,873  in  value;  cement  from  13,206,630  barrels,  worth 
$25,043,335,  to  13,797,173  barrels  and  $25,269,678,  the  average  price 
per  barrel  dropping  slightly.  Granite  dropped  from  a  valuation  of 
$1,853,859  to  $655,332;  brick  and  hollow  building-blocks  or  tile  from 
$7,503,976  to  $7,026,124 ;  magnesite  from  64,623  tons,  crude,  valued  at 


12  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

$872,944,  to  50,915  tons  and  $587,642.  Of  the  'industrial'  and  'salines' 
groups,  as  is  usually  the  case,  there  were  a  number  of  fluctuations,  the 
most  important  increase  being  shown  by  pottery  clays  from  537,587 
tons,  valued  at  $674,376,  to  797,461  tons  and  $806,509. 

The  figures  of  the  State  Division  of  Mines  and  Mining  are  made  up 
from  reports  received  direct  from  the  producers  of  the  various  minerals. 
Care  is  exercised  in  avoiding  duplication,  and  any  error  is  likel}^  to  be 
on  the  side  of  under-  rather  than  over-estimation. 

California  yields  commercially  a  greater  number  and  variety  of 
mineral  products  than  any  state  in  the  United  States,  and  probably 
more  than  any  other  equal  area  elsewhere  of  the  earth.  The  total 
annual  value  of  her  output  has  been  surpassed  by  not  more  than  four 
or  five  others,  and  those  usually  the  great  coal  states  of  east  of  the 
Mississippi.  More  recently  California  has  been  placed  second  to  Penn- 
sylvania, the  leader.  California  was  for  many  years  the  sole  domestic 
source  of  borax,  chromite  and  magnesite  and  in  which  we  still  lead. 
We  lead  all  other  states  in  the  production  of  gold,  quicksilver,  and 
platinum;  and  have  alternated  in  the  lead  with  Colorado  in  tungsten, 
and  with  Oklahoma  in  petroleum. 

The  mineral  industries,  not  only  in  California,  but  throughout  the 
country,  have  reached  quite  a  different  phase  from  that  of  the  old 
gold-rush  days  more  than  fifty  years  ago.  A  broader  and  more  inti- 
mate status  has  been  attained,  touching  practically^  every  avenue  of 
domestic  and  commercial  endeavor.  As  quoted  in  a  former  report^  of 
the  freight  handled  by  the  railroads  of  the  country,  the  products  of  the 
mines  represent  51.33  per  cent.  While  gold,  in  which  California  still 
leads  the  United  States,  is  still  important,  other  metals  and  even  non- 
metals  have  superseded  it  in  annual  value.  The  greatest  commercial 
developments  proportionately  in  California  in  recent  years  have  taken 
place  among  the  industrial  and  structural  minerals,  not  to  mention 
petroleum,  which  leads  all  others  in  value.  This  introduces  a  new 
factor  which  requires  study  and  attention — that  of  marketing.  The 
gold  miner  could,  and  still  does,  take  his  metal  to  the  mint  and  receives 
its  equivalent  in  the  'coin  of  the  realm';  and  he  knows  from  day  to 
day  and  year  to  year,  without  variation,  just  how  much  each  ounce  of 
gold  will  bring  in  that  coin,  though  its  equivalent  in  other  commodities 
varies  according  to  economic  conditions.  Marketing  and  competition, 
however,  are  vital  factors  in  the  industrial  and  structural  groups. 

Under  the  caption  "Mining  enters  the  new  competition,"  the  United 
States  Chamber  of  Commerce  recently  issued  the  following  statement : 

"Mining,  no  less  than  manufacturing-,  is  being  caught  uid  in  the  swirl  of  the  new 
competition. 

"With  the  growth  and  development  of  our  industries,  there  has  come  an  intensified 
struggle  between  commodities  for  markets.  The  development  of  new  uses  and  the 
demonstration  of  the  adaptibility  of  certain  materials  has  broken  down  many 
barriers  and  enlarged  the  field  so  that  we  find  competition  between  metals  and 
between  minerals,  copper  versus  aluminum,  nickel  versus  chromium,  sulphur  versus 
pyrite,  zirconium  oxide  substituting  for  tin  oxide  in  enamels,  titanium  oxide  for 
zinc  and  lead  oxides  in  pigments,  duco  replacing  mineral  pigments,  antimony  sub- 
stituting for  tin  in  cable  sheathings,  chromite  in  place  of  magnesite  for  refractories. 


'  Cal.  Sate  Min.  Bur.,  Bulletin  96,  p.  12,  1925. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  13 

There   is  also  competition  between  mine  products  and  forest  products,  concrete  and 
steel  versus  lumber  and  timber,  gypsum  board  versus  celotex. 

"The  mine  owner  is  no  longer  merely  interested  in  extracting  metals  and  minerals 
from  the  earth  as  cheaply  as  possible  but  in  finding  new  markets  and  in  develop- 
ing new  uses  for  his  products.  He  has  to  meet  the  attacks  of  organized  competition 
and  few  mine  owners  are  strong  enough  to  meet  them  successfully  alone." 


14 


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STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


15 


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16  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OP    CALIFORNIA. 

By  Counties. 

The  following  table  shows  the  comparative  value  of  the  mineral  pro- 
duction of  the  various  counties  in  the  state,  for  the  years  1925  and 
1926: 

1925  1926 

Alameda   $2,916,506  $3,158,474 

Alpine    520  450 

Amador     2,625,703  2,451,500 

Butte     546,178  461,945 

Calaveras 1,450,618  1,809,772 

Colusa    103,230  91,194 

Contra  Costa 2,544,179  2,610,553 

Del  Norte 270,582  70,464 

El   Dorado    352,828  302,086 

Fresno     9,264,996  6,699,928 

Glenn     92,288  58,391 

Humboldt     719,151  706,670 

Imperial    330,965  467,314 

Inyo     2,585,145  2,835,834 

Kern    89,400,726  83,556,074 

Kings     520  720 

Lake     73,348  75,693 

Lassen    2,404  19,063 

Los    Angeles    193,180,000  194,358,926 

Madera    1,377,458  425,738 

Marin     434,802  527,553 

Mariposa    634,862  319,724 

Mendocino    16,533  15,800 

Merced    80,262  192,665 

Modoc    2,400  37,991 

Mono    184,745  209,848 

Monterey    277,721  359,993 

Napa    229,172  341,571 

Nevada    2,352,877  3,240,211 

Orange    49,104,490  63,223,082 

Placer    550,413  480,882 

Plumas    4,401,508  3,572,628 

Riverside    5,179,108  6,194,253 

Sacramento    2,504,405  2,243,952 

San    Benito    • 2,617,396  2,400,850 

San    Bernardino    14,179,663  14,218,475 

San    Diego    1,129,757  1,241,324 

San  Francisco 131,158  112,193 

San    Joaquin    737,818  842,000 

San    Luis    Obispo 136,477  253,294 

San  Mateo 1,577,513  1,893,853 

Santa  Barbara 4,338,431  2,583,548 

Santa    Clara    1,320,858  1,028,506 

Santa   Cruz    3,227,036  3,504,194 

Shasta     4,300,449  2,886,144 

Sierra    1,386,301  569,515 

Siskiyou    219,626  494,151 

Solano     2,678,547  1,770,820 

Sonoma 160,231  222,586 

Stanislaus    415,466  401,997 

Sutter    397  397 

Tehama     77,183  10,340 

Trinity    502,289  611,797 

Tulare     426,979  397,920 

Tuolumne    567,248  615,998 

Ventura    17,853,540  30,208,369 

Yolo     23,060  20,560 

Yuba    2,721,594  2,921,083 

Total    $434,519,660  $450,330,856 

Total  Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  following  tabulation  gives  the  total  value  of  mineral  production 
of  California  by  years  since  1887,  in  which  year  compilation  of  such 
data  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau  (now  Division  of  Mines  and  Mining) 
began.  At  the  side  of  these  figures  the  writer  has  placed  the  values  of 
the  most  important  metal  and  non-metal  items — gold  and  petroleum. 

In  the  same  period  copper  made  an  important  growth  beginning  with 
1897  following  the  entry  of  the  Shasta  County  mines,  and  more  recently 
Plumas  County.  Cement  increased  rapidly  from  1902,  while  crushed 
rock,  sand  and  gravel  as  a  group  parallels  the  cement  increase.    Quick- 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


17 


silver  has  been  up  and  down.  Mineral  water  and  salt  have  always  been 
important  items,  but  the  values  fluctuate.  Borax  has  increased  mate- 
rially since  1896.  War-time  increases,  1915-1918,  were  shown  by 
chromite,  copper,  lead,  magnesite,  manganese,  silver,  tungsten  and  zinc. 
Most  of  these,  except  silver,  have  since  declined,  though  structural 
materials  and  copper  increased  in  1920-1924,  also  lead  and  magnesite 
in  1923 ;  lead  and  zinc  in  1925 ;  zinc  in  1926,  with  silver  declining. 

Total  Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Years,  Since  1887. 


Year 

Total  value  of 
all  minerals 

Gold,  value 

Petroleum, 
value 

1887 

$19,785,868 

19,409,320 

16,681,731 

18,039,666 

18,872,413 

18,300,168 

18,811,261 

20,203,294 

22,844,663 

24,291,398 

25,142,441 

27,289,079 

29,313,460 

32,622,945 

34,355,981 

35,069,105 

37,7.59,040 

43,778,348 

43,069,227 

46,776,085 

55,697,949 

66,363,198 

82,972,209 

88,419,079 

87,497,879 

88,972,385 

98,644,639 

93,314,773 

96,663,369 

127,901,610 

161,202,962 

199,753,837 

195,830,002 

242,099,667 

268,157,472 

245,183,826 

344,024,678 

374,620,789 

434,519,660 

450,330,856 

$13,.588,614 
12,750,000 
11,212,913 
12,309,793 
12,728,869 
12,571,900 
12,422,811 
13,923,281 
15,334,317 
17,181,562 
15,871,401 
15,906,478 
15,336,031 
15,863,355 
16,989,044 
16,610,320 
16,471,264 
19,109,600 
19,197,043 
18,732,452 
16,727,928 
18.761,559 
20,237,870 
19,715,440 
19,738,908 
19,713,478 
20,406,958 
20,653,496 
22,442,296 
21,410,741 
20,087,504 
16,529,162 
16,695,955 
14,311,043 
15,704,822 
14,670,346 
13,379,013 
13,150,175 
13,065,330 
11,923,481 

$1,357,144 

1888 

1889 .. 

1,380,666 
368,048 

1890 

384,200 

1891 

401,264 

1892 ..„-       

561,333 

1893 

608,092 

1894 

1,064.521 

1895 

1,000,235 

1896 _ 

1,180,793 

1897                                    .       .                     - 

1,918,269 

1898 

2,376,420 

1899 

2,660,793 

1900            .               .                                ..     

4,152,928 

1901 

1902 , _ 

2,961,102 
4,692,189 

1903  .                     

7,313,271 

1904 

8,317,809 

1905 

9,007,820 

1906 

9,238,020 

1907 

16,783,943 

1908 

26,566,181 

1909 

32,398,187 

1910 

37,68:1,542 

1911 

40,552,088 

1912 

41,868,344 

1913 

1914 

48,578,014 
47,487,109 

1915 

43,503,837 

1916 

57,421,334 

1917       .          ,       .  . 

86,976,209 

1918 , 

127,459,221 

1919 

142,610,563 

1920 

178,394,937 

1921 

203,138,225 

1922 

173,381,265 

1923 

242,731,309 

1924 

274.652,874 

1925  . 

330,609,829 

1926 

315,546,677 

Totals  .              .                                  

$4,355,246,332 

$653,736,553 

$2,559,294,605 

2—55185 


]8  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

CHAPTER  TWO. 

FUELS. 

Among  the  most  important  mineral  products  of  California  are  its 
fuels.  This  subdivision  includes  coal,  natural  gas,  and  petroleum,  the 
combined  values  of  which  made  up  practicalh^  81  per  cent  of  the  state's 
entire  mineral  output  for  the  year  1926. 

There  are  deposits  of  peat  known  in  several  localities  in  California, 
small  amounts  of  which  are  used  as  a  fertilizer,  and  in  stock-food 
preparations,  but  none  has  yet  been  recorded  as  utilized  for  fuel. 

Comparison  of  values  during  1925  and  1926  is  shown  in  the  follow- 
ing table : 


1925 

1926 

Increase+ 
Decrease — 

Substance 

Amount 

Value 

Amount 

Value 

Value 

Coal 

730  tons 
191,719,924  M  cu.ff. 
237,-402,147  bbls. 

$3,880 

15,890,082 

330,609,829 

1,100  tons 
214,549,477  M  cu.ft. 
224,673,281  bbls. 

J5,000 

19,465,347 

345,546,677 

$1,1204- 

Natural  gas    . 

3,575,265+ 

Pe.'rnleum.. 

14,936,848+ 

$346,503,791 

$365,017,024 

Net  increase 

$18,513,233+ 

. 

Buena  Vista  Coal  Mine,  near  lone,  Amador  County.     Photo  by  C.  A.  Logan. 

COAL. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Keports  VII,  XII-XV  (inc.), 
XVII,  XIX-XXI  (inc.).  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletins  285,  316, 
431,  471,  581 ;  Ann.  Rpt.  22,  Pt.  III. 

Coal  production  in  California  in  1926  totaled  1100  short  tons  valued 
at  $5,000,  being  credited  to  Amador,  Shasta,  and  Siskiyou  counties. 
Only  a  small  part  of  it  was  marketed,  as  it  was  mainly  consumed  for 
local  camp  purposes  and  for  power  and  forge  use  in  development  work 
on  the  deposits.  Considerable  development  work  is  under  way  in 
Shasta  County,  as  well  as  in  Mendocino. 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


19 


Total  Coal  Production  of  California. 

The  very  considerable  output  of  coal  in  the  years  previous  to  1883 
was  almost  entirely  from  the  Mount  Diablo  district,  Contra  Costa 
County.  Later  the  Tesla  mine  in  Corral  Hollow,  Alameda  County,  was 
an  important  producer  for  a  few  years.  Stone  Canyon,  Monterey 
County,  was  also  an  important  producer  for  a  short  time,  and  there 
has  been  some  coal  shipped  from  properties  in  Amador,  Fresno,  Orange, 
Riverside  and  Siskiyou  counties.  The  following  tabulation  gives  the 
annual  tonnages  and  values,  according  to  available  records : 

Coal   Output  and   Value  by  Years. 


Year 


1861 
1862 
1863 
1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
1868 
1869 
1870 
1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 
1875 
1876 
1877 
1878 
1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 


Tons 


6,620 

23,400 

43,200 

50,700 

60,530 

84,020 

124,690 

143,676 

157,234 

141,890 

152,493 

190,859 

186,611 

215,352 

166,638 

128,049 

107,789 

134,237 

147,879 

236,950 

140,000 

112,592 

76,162 

77,485 

71,615 

100,000 

50,000 

95,000 

121,280 

110,711 

93,301 

85,178 

72,603 

59,887 


Value 


$38,065 
134,550 
248,400 
291,525 
348,048 
483,115 
716,968 
826,137 
904,096 
815,868 
876,835 
1,097,439 
1,073,013 
1,238,274 
958,169 
736,282 
619,787 
771,863 
850,304 
1,362,463 
805,000 
647,404 
380,810 
309,950 
286,460 
300,000 
150,000 
380,000 
288,232 
283,019 
204,902 
209,711 
167,555 
139,862 


Year 


1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908. 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918. 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 

1926 

Totals 


Tons 


79,858 

70,649 

87,449 

143,045 

160,941 

176,956 

150,724 

88,460 

93,026 

79,062 

46,500 

24,850 

23,734 

18,496 

49,389 

11,033 

11,047 

14,484 

25.198 

11,859 

10,299 

4,037 

3,527 

6,343 

2,983 

2,078 

12,467 

27,020 

1,010 

1,425 

730 

1,100 


5,208,410 


Value 


SI  93, 790 

161,335 

196,255 

337,475 

420,109 

535,531 

401,772 

248,622 

265,383 

376,494 

144,500 

61,600 

55,849 

55,503 

216,913 

23,484 

18,297 

39,092 

85,809 

28,806 

26,662 

7,030 

7,691 

16,149 

8,203 

5,450 

63,578 

135,100 

5,090 

8,800 

3,880 

5,000 


$23,103,358 


The  tonnages  In  the  above  table  for  the  years  1861-1886  (incl.)  are  taken  from  the 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  "Mineral  Resources  of  the  U.  S.,  1910,"  p.  107.  The  values 
assigned  for  the  years  previous  to  1883  are  those  given  by  W.  A.  Goodyear  (Min- 
eral Res.,  1882,  pp.  93-94),  being  an  average  of  $5.75  per  ton.  From  1887  to  date 
the  figures  are  those  of  the  California  State  Mining  Bureau. 


NATURAL  GAS. 


Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  VII,  X,  XII,  XIII,  XIV. 
Bulletins  3,  16,  19,  69,  73,  89.  Monthly  Summary,  Oil  &  Gas 
Supervisor,  Dec.  1919 ;  Aug.,  1922 ;  Mar.,  1923 ;  Mar.  and  Apr., 
1926. 

Statistics  on  the  production  of  natural  gas  in  California  are  in  a  con- 
siderable degree  difficult  to  arrive  at,  as  much  of  it  that  is  utilized 
directly  at  the  wells  for  heating,  lighting,  and  driving  gas  engines  is 
not  measured.     Hence,  it  is  necessary  to  approximate  the  output  of 


20  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OP    CALIFORNIA. 

many  of  the  operators  in  the  oil  fields,  estimated  on  the  number  of 
lights,  and  on  the  number  and  horsepower  of  gas  engines  and  steam 
boilers  thus  operated.  The  figures  here  given  are  for  gas  utilized 
locally  and  also  that  sold  for  distribution  to  consumers ;  and  we  consider 
are  not  over-estimated,  particularly  in  the  six  oil-producing  counties. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  some  of  our  important  oil  fields  are 
removed  many  miles  from  the  site  of  any  other  industry,  and  that  the 
gathering  of  small  amounts  of  gas  and  transporting  it  for  any  consider- 
able distance  may  not  alwa^^s  be  profitable,  nor  is  it  often  possible  to 
have  pipe-line  facilities  available  to  handle  the  gas  accompanying  the 
early  gas  production  in  newdy  developed  fields.  Wherever  feasible, 
casing-head  gas  is  used  in  driving  gas  engines  for  pumping  and  drill- 
ing, and  in  firing  the  boilers  of  steam-driven  plants. 

The  most  notable  gas  developments  in  California  have  been  in  the 
Elk  Hills  and  Buena  Vista  Hills  in  Kern  County,  northeast  of  the 
Midway  district ;  in  the  oil  fields  in  the  Los  Angeles  basin,  Los  Angeles 
and  Orange  counties ;  and  more  recently  in  Ventura  County. 

Production  and  Value. 

There  is  rather  a  wide  variation  in  prices  quoted  for  natural  gas 
because  a  considerable  part  is  used  directlj^  in  the  field  for  driving  gas 
engines  and  firing  boilers,  and  is  therefore  not  measured  nor  sold. 
Such  companies  as  have  placed  a  valuation  on  the  gas  that  was  thus 
used  in  1926  gave  from  3^  to  25^  per  1000  cu.  ft.,  at  the  well.  From 
the  totals  shown  in  the  tabulation  following  herein,  the  average  value 
for  all  fields  in  1926  works  out  at  approximately  9.1^.  Approximately 
7000  cu.  ft.  of  gas  is  equal  to  one  barrel  of  oil  in  heating  value,  and  is 
so  accounted  for  by  many  operators.  In  driving  gas  engines,  about 
4000  cu.  ft.  per  24  hr.  are  consumed  by  a  25-h.p.  engine,  and  63,700 
cu.  ft.  per  day  for  heating  a  70-h.p.  steam  boiler,  which  figures  have 
been  utilized  in  compiling  this  report,  in  those  cases  where  gas  was  not 
metered. 

Natural  Gas  'Consumed,'  or  Utilized  for  Fuel,  1926. 

County  M  cu.  ft.  Value 

Fresno     1,920,489  $153,726 

Kern    44,182,140  2,158,867 

Kings 470  245 

Los  Angeles 91,054,793  8,965,307 

Orange    33,276,379  3,556,194 

Santa  Barbara 2,230,501  246,091 

Ventura    41,559,144  4,080,040 

Butte,  Humboldt,  Lake,  Mendocino,   Sacramento,   San  Joa- 
quin, San  Luis  Obispo,  San  Mateo,  Santa  Clara,  Sutter, 

Tulare,   Yuba*    325,561  304,877 

Totals    214,549,477  $19,465,347 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

The  above  totals  for  1926  compare  with  194,719,924  M  cu.  ft.,  valued 
at  $15,890,082  in  1925.  Important  increases  in  quantity  in  1926  were 
made  by  Ventura  County,  which  shows  41,559,144  M  cu.  ft.,  worth 
$4,080,040,  as  against  20,144,646  M  cu.  ft.  and  $1,953,163  in  1925 ;  and 
Orange  County  with  33,276,379  M  cu.  ft.,  worth  $3,556,194,  against 
26,324,369  M  cu.  ft  and  $2,324,014  in  1925.  Fresno  County  showed  a 
slight   increase,   Los   Angeles   and   Kern   counties   utilized   somewhat 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


21 


smaller  quantities  of  natural  gas ;  but,  there  was  a  larger  recovery  of 
natural-gas  gasoline  from  the  gas  treated. 

Natural  Gas  Production  in  California,  Since  1888. 

The  production  of  natural  gas  in  California  by  years  since  1888  is 
given  in  the  following  table.  The  first  economic  use  of  natural  gas  in 
California  was  from  the  famous  Court  House  well  at  Stockton,  bored 
in  1854-1858.  Beginning  about  1883  and  for  several  succeeding  years, 
a  number  of  gas  wells  were  brought  in  around  Stockton.  Natural  gas 
was  known  in  a  number  of  other  localities,  and  occasionally  utilized  in 
a  small  way,  notably  at  KeLse\wille  in  Lake  County,  and  in  Humboldt 
County  near  Petrolia  and  Eureka,  but  there  are  no  available  authentic 
records  of  amounts  or  values  previous  to  the  year  1888.  The  most 
important  developments  in  the  commercial  production  of  natural  gas 
have  been  coincident  with  developments  in  the  oil  fields,  by  utilizing 
the  casing-head  gas  as  well  as  that  from  dry-gas  wells. 


Year 

M  cubic  feet 

Value 

Year 

M  cubic  feet 

Value 

1888 

«12,000 

"14.500 

"41.250 

"39,000 

"75,000 

"84.000 

"b85.080 

"bl  10,800 

"t'131,100 

"71,300 

"111,165 

115,110 

40,566 

120,800 

120,968 

120,134 

144,437 

148,345 

168,175 

169,991 

110.000 

12.680 

33.000 

30.000 

55.000 

68,500 

79,072 

112,000 

111,457 

62,657 

74,424 

95,000 

34,578 

92,034 

99,443 

75,237 

91,035 

102,479 

109,489 

114,759 

1908 

842.883 

1,148,467 

10,579,933 

"5,000,000 

"12,600,000 

14,210,836 

16,529,963 

21,992,892 

28.134.365 

44.343.020 

46.373.052 

52,173.503 

58.567.772 

67,043.797 

103.628.027 

240,405,397 

209,021,596 

194,719,924 

214,549,477 

1474,584 
616  932 

1889 

1909 

1890 

1910 _ 

1  676  367 

1891 

1911 

491  859 

1892 

1912 

940  076 

1893 ■_ 

1913 

1  053  292 

1894 

1914 

1,049,470 
1  706  480 

1895 

1915  ._ 

1896 

1916 

2'87r751 

1897 

1917 

2  964  922 

1898 

1918 

3  289  524 

1899 

1919 

4  041  217 

1900 

1920 

3,898,286 
4  704  678 

1901 

1921 

1902 

1922 

6,990,030 
15  661  433 

1903 .- 

1923 

1904 . 

1924 . 

15  153,140 

1905 . 

1925 

1926.  . 

15  890  082 

1906 

19,465,347 

1907 

Totals 

1,344,688,625 

$104,402,314 

"  Quantity,  in  part,  estimated,  where  values  only  were  reported, 
l"  Includes  natural  CO2  from  a  mine  in  Santa  Clara  County. 


Gasoline  from    Natural   Gas. 

More  or  less  gas  usually  accompanies  the  petroleum  in  the  oil  fields, 
and  such  gas  carries  varying  amounts  of  gasoline.  A  total  of  148  plants 
Avere  in  operation  in  1926  recovering  gasoline  by  compression  or  absorp- 
tion from  this  'casing-head'  gas.  After  the  gasoline  is  extracted  the 
remaining  'dry  gas'  so  far  as  practicable  is  taken  into  pipe  lines,  by 
which  it  is  distributed  to  consumers,  both  domestic  and  commercial. 

In  certain  of  the  oil  fields,  some  of  the  casing-head  gasoline  is  obtained 
as  an  incidental  product  to  the  compressing  of  the  natural  gas  prelim- 
inary to  its  transmission  to  consuming  centers  through  the  gas  pipe 
lines.  Some  concerns  market  the  casing-head  gasoline  separately,  others 
blend  it  with  distillery  gasoline,  while  others  turn  it  into  the  oil  pipe 
lines  thus  mixing  this  high-gravity  gasoline  with  the  crude  oil  for  trans- 
portation to  the  refinery  where  it  is  later  regained.  A  total  of  389,026,- 
757  gallons  of  casing-head  gasoline  valued  at  $51,788,346  from  all  fields 
was  reported  as  made  by  148  plants  during  1926,  compared  with  301,- 


22  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

755,000  gallons  valued  at  $39,288,500  by  83  operators  and  163  plants  in 
1925.    It  was  distributed  by  counties,  as  follows : 

Natural-Gas  Gasoline  Recovered,  1926. 

County                                                                          No.  plants       Gallons  Value 

Fresno 1                 767,914  $92,152 

Kern __— _       38            75,816,000  10,310,976 

Los  Angeles 72          224,413,000  29,622,516 

Orange    25            59,998,671  7,919,825 

Santa  Barbara 3              6,230,798  856,226 

Ventura — 9            21,800,374  2,986,651 


leco 
per 

very  (Gal. 
M.  cu.  ft.) 

1.421 
1.464 
1.479 
1.378 
0.124 



Totals 148  389,026,757  $51,788,346 

The  usual  recoveries  of  gasoline  from  natural  gas  vary  from  ^  gal. 
to  3  gal.  per  1000  cu.  ft.  of  gas  handled,  the  average  being  about  1  gal. 
per  1000  cu.  ft.  The  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  report  by  Knudsen  &  Ma- 
shaw^  gives  the  average  recovery  for  1926  as  1.369  gallons  per  1000 
cu.  ft.  of  gas  treated.  Their  figures  show  the  following  production,  by 
methods : 

Natural-Gas  Gasoline  Production,  1926,  by  Methods. 
(Per  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Minos) 

Method  Gallons 

Oil  absorption 183,472,906 

Compressor    5,801,139 

Combination  compressor  and  oil  absorption 142,027,856 

Combination  oil  and  charcoal  absorption : 56,094,597 

Charcoal    absorption 1,796,013 

Drip 173,826 

Totals   389,366,337  1.369 

PETROLEUM. 

BMiographv:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  VII,  X,  XII,  XIII. 
Bulletins  3,  11,  16,  19,  31,  32,  63,  69,  73,  82,  84,  89.  Reports  of 
Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor  1915  to  date  (issued  in  monthly  chapters 
since  April,  1919).  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletins  213,  285,  309, 
317,  321,  322,  340,  357,  398,  406,  431,  471,  541,  581,  603,  621, 
623,  653,  691;  Prof.  Papers  116,  117.  "American  Petroleum; 
Supply  and  Demand";  Amer.  Petr.  Inst.,  1925. 

The  crude  oil  production  of  California  for  1926  amounted  to  a  total 
of  224,673,281  barrels  of  clean  oil,  valued  at  $345,546,677  at  the  well. 
This  total  of  quantity  is  compiled  from  the  monthly  production  reports 
filed  by  the  operators  with  the  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor,  to  which 
have  been  added  figures  for  the  output  of  a  number  of  small  operators 
in  the  old  Los  Angeles  City  field  not  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Supervisor,  and  a  small  production  in  San  Mateo  County  which  was 
also  not  reported  to  that  office. 

The  question  of  the  value  of  the  crude  oil  yield  at  the  well  is  a  diffi- 
cult one  to  settle  with  exactitude,  principally  because  a  large  part  of 
the  output  is  not  sold  until  after  refining.  The  large  refiners  are  also 
large  producers  of  crude  oil  which  they  send  direct  from  well  to  plant, 
hence  much  of  the  crude  oil  is  not  sold  as  such.  The  values  used  in  the 
statistical  reports  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau  since  1914  have  been 
derived  from  averages  of  actual  sales  of  crude  oil  of  all  grades  in  each 


'Knudsen,  E.  T.,  and  Mashaw,  J.  W.,  Statistical  summary  of  California  petroleum 
industry,  1926:  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  1927,  pp.  46,  47. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  23 

field  of  the  state,  and  these  averages  applied  to  the  total  yield  of  the 
respective  fields.  This  we  feel  is  a  safer  measure  of  commercial  values 
than  market  quotations,  because  quotations  do  not  always  mean  sales. 
This  is  particular!}^  true  on  a  rising  or  a  falling  market. 


Features  of  1926. 

The  noteworthy  features  of  the  year  1926  in  the  oil  industry  of  Cali- 
fornia were  the  higher  prices  prevailing  and  the  decreased  output  in 
all  fields  except  Ventura  which  increased  7,800,000  barrels  during  the 
year.  The  principal  decrease  was  in  the  Inglewood  and  Long  Beach 
fields  of  Los  Angeles  County. 

Summarizing  the  data  for  the  year,  the  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor^ 
presented  the  following  figures : 

"The  total  production  of  the  state  for  the  last  six  months  of  1926  was  114,502,082 
barrels  of  oil  and  55,815,808  barrels  of  water.  The  production  of  oil  for  the  year 
1926  was,  therefore,  224,523,424  barrels,  a  decrease  of  7,810,814  barrels  from  1925. 
A  decrease  is  shown  in  all  districts  except  No.  2  where  the  Ventura  field  increased 
over  7,800,000  barrels  during  1926.  The  principal  decrease  was  in  District  No.  1  in 
the  Inglewood  and  Long  Beach  fields. 

"The  production  of  oil  for  the  second  half  of  1926  was  4,480,740  barrels  more  than 
for  the  first  half.  Water  production  increased  3,728,579  barrels  during  the  same 
period.      *      *      * 

"The  estimated  closed-in  production  remained  fairly  constant  during  the  year, 
declining  from  60.216  barrels  daily  during  January  to  51,619  barrels  daily  during 
June  and  increasing  to  54,959  barrels  daily  during  December.     *     *     * 

"Storage  and  Price  Changes. 

"The  total  crude  and  refined  petroleum  in  storage  in  Pacific  Coast  territory  at  the 
end  of  1926  was  145,612,176  barrels  according  to  the  American  Petroleum  Institute. 
The  decrease  in  storage  during  the  year  amounted  to  11,704,133  barrels  compared 
with  an  increase  of  32,294,345  (revised)  barrels  during  1925.  Of  the  storage  decrease 
during  1926,  8,214,864  barrels  were  destroyed  by  fire.  The  total  amount  of  crude  and 
refined  oil  shipped  to  eastern  ports  during  1926  was  33,038,000  barrels,  or  5,101,000 
barrels  more  than  the  1925  shipments. 

"Prices  of  the  lighter  grades  of  crude  oil  were  higher  during  most  of  1926  than  in 
1925.  On  March  11,  1926,  the  price  of  oil  above  18  degrees  gravity  was  advanced  in 
most  fields,  while  the  lower  grades  remained  unchanged. 

"Drilling  and  Development. 

"During  1926,  1268  wells  were  reported  to  the  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor  as 
ready  to  drill  as  compared  with  1359  new  wells  in  1925.  Of  the  total  number  107, 
or  8  per  cent,  were  wildcat  wells. 

"The  outstanding  developments  were  the  discovery  of  the  Seal  Beach  field  by 
Marland  Oil  Company  of  California,  discovery  of  the  Mt.  Poso  field  in  Kern  County 
by  Shell  Company  of  California,  discovery  of  a  small  amount  of  oil  at  comparatively 
shallow  depth  in  the  'Middle  Dome'  of  the  Kettleman  Hills  structure  in  Kings  County 
by  Bolsa  Chica  Oil  Company,  and  discovery  of  very  light  oil  at  shallow  depth  near 
Goleta,  Santa  Barbara  County,  by  Miley  Oil  Company.  The  Long  Beach  field  was 
considerably  extended  to  the  northwest  in  the  Los  Cerritos  area,  the  Huntington 
Beach  field  into  part  of  the  townsite  area,  and  the  Ventura  field  was  extended  on  all 
sides  and  production  very  materially  increased  by  deeper  drilling  in  the  centra] 
portion  of  the  field." 

Outlook  for  1927. 

Figures  for  the  first  six  months  of  1927  indicate  an  increase  in  yield 
for  the  current  year  compared  with  1926,  being  2,000,000  barrels  more 
than  the  last  six  months  of  1926.  The  daily  average  production  was 
639,381  barrels  in  June  compared  with  610,000  barrels  in  June,  1926, 
and  651,125  barrels  in  January,  1927.  Effective  April  1,  1927,  there 
was  a  marked  cut  in  prices  posted  for  the  higher  grades  of  crude  oil, 
amounting  to  as  much  as  50%  in  some  fields. 


»  Bush,  R.  D.,  Resume  of  oil  field  operations  of  California  in  1926;  Cal.  State  Min. 
Bur.,  12th  Ann.  Rep.  of  State  O.  &  G.  Super.,  No.  8,  Feb.  1927,  pp.  5  and  6. 


24 


MINERAL    INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Production  Figures. 

The  following  table  gives  the  production  and  value  by  counties  for 
1926  compared  with  the  1925  figures  : 

TABLE    A. 

Production   and    Value  of  Crude   Oil,    by   Counties. 

1925  1926 

County.  Barrels.  Value.  Barrels.  Value. 

Fresno 7,773,665  $8,503,390  7,340.102  $5,982,183 

Kern 58,852,742  84,255,094  54,549,646  78,987,887 

Los  Angeles 121,214,551  173,215,593  105,826,337  174,084,324 

Orange 32,734,420  46,384,673  37,989,349  59,225,395 

San  Luis  Obispo 29,590  32,164  27,982  22,162 

Santa   Barbara 2,647,380  2,419,705  1,925,204  1,526,587 

Santa    Clara 13,828  22,594  "  " 

Ventura 9,221,846  15,769,357  16,994,275  25,695,344 

San  Bernardino  and  San  Mateo  =» 4,125  7,259     

Kings,  San  Bernardino,  San 

Mateo,  Santa  Clara,  Sonoma  i-     >'20,386  22,795 

Totals 232,492,147      $330,609,829     224,673,281      $345,546,677 

a  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  San  Bernardino  County. 
^  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

The  foregoing  totals  show  a  state  average  price  of  $1,538  per  barrel 
for  the  year  1926,  as  compared  to  $1,422  in  1925  and  $1,200  in  1924. 

TABLE    B. 
Average   Price  of   Oil    per    Barrel,    by   Counties,    1917-1926. 


County 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 

1926 

Fresno           - . 

$0,516 
.641 
.651 
.603 
.4.50 
.794 
.666 
1.045 

$0,825 

.893 

1  176 

1.003 

.926 

.808 

1.387 

1.318 

$1,191 
1  252 
1  340 
1.412 
.905 
1  235 
1  700 
1.480 

$1,293 
1  350 
1.380 
1.860 
1.040 
1.125 
1.600 
1.635 

$1,483 
1  714 

1  532 

2  138 
1.400 
1.575 
l.-^85 
2  507 

$1,068 
1.211 
1.403 
1.175 
.942 
1  Oil 
1  616 
1.785 

$1,710 
.819 
.971 
.880 
.600 
.782 
1  401 
1  138 

$1,162 
1.137 
1  239 
1  183 
.992 
1.036 
1  921 
1  334 

$1,094 
1.432 
1.429 
1.417 
1.087 
.914 
1  634 
1.710 

$0  815 

Kern. 

Lns  Angeles .- 

1  448 
1.615 
1.559 

San  Luis  Obispo 

Santa  Barbara _ 

Santa  Plara          

"""'793 

Ventura 

1  512 

State  average 

$0  636 

$0,908 

$1  278 

$1,409 

$1,726 

$1,249 

$0  923 

$1  200 

11  422 

$1  538 

For  several  years  previous  to  1919,  the  state  average  value  per  barrel 
at  the  well  for  crude  oil  as  determined  by  the  statistical  returns  was 
noted  to  practically  coincide  with  the  quotations  during  the  same  years 
for  23°  gravity  oil  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  fields.  In  1919  and  since, 
the  average  values  have  Avorked  out  at  figures  corresponding  to  quota- 
tions up  to,  in  one  year  as  high  as  28°  oil,  due  to  the  large  jdeld  of 
high-gravity  oils  from  the  new  fields  in  the  Los  Angeles-Orange  counties 
area. 


TOTAL  PETROLEUM   PRODUCTION    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

The  presence  of  oil  seepages  and  springs  in  Los  Angeles  and  Ventura 
counties  was  known  and  utilized  in  a  small  \vay  early  in  the  hi.story  of 
California.  Some  also  was  shipped  to  refineries  at  San  Francisco  from 
Santa  Barbara  and  Humboldt  counties.  In  the  light  of  present-day 
developments,  the  following  reference  to  the  previous  year's  production 
of  oil  and  its  future  prospects  as  expressed  by  the  San  Francisco  Bulle- 
tin of  January  8,  1866,  is  strikingly  prophetic  even  though  skeptical : 

"It  is  possible  that  the  small  quantity  received  (40,000  or  50,000  gallons  in  1865) 
may  be  the  forerunner  of  many  millions  which  will,  at  some  future  time,   lubricate 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  25 

the  wheels  of  commerce  and  set  a  trade  at  work  excelling  in  variety  any  that  has 
thus  far  been  known  on  this  coast.  At  present,  however,  we  admit  to  being  a  little 
skeptical  about  the  assumption  of  the  astute  Professor  Silliman  that  California  will 
be  found  to  have  more  oil  in  its  soil  than  all  the  whales  in  the  Pacific  Ocean." 

According  to  Hanks/  in  1874  production  amounted  to  36  bbl.  per 
day  from  natural  flows  in  Pico  Canon  (Newhall),  and  at  Sulphur 
Mountain  (Ventura  County),  the  oil  being  of  32°  gravity  average. 

^  "Work  was  commenced  in  Pico  Canyon  in  1875  by  drilling  three  shallow  wells  with 
spring  pole,  all  of  which  yielded  oil  at  depths  of  from  90  to  2  50  feet.  Actual  work 
of  development  commenced  with  steam  machinery  in  1877." 

In  1877  Pico  averaged  40-50  bbl.  daily,  and  Ventura  80  bbl.  daily. 
In  1878.  there  was  some  production  (@  60  bbl.  per  day,  for  a  time) 
from  wells  in  Moody  Gulch,  near  Los  Gatos,  Santa  Clara  County,  the  oil 
being  of  46°  Baume. 

The  first  wells  in  the  Coalinga,  Fresno  County,  and  Summerland, 
Santa  Barbara  County,  fields  were  drilled  in  1890,  but  Coalinga  did  not 
make  its  influence  felt  conspicuously  on  the  state's  annual  output  until 
1903.  The  Summerland  yield  never  has  been  large.  The  Salt  Lake 
field  near  Los  Angeles  began  production  in  1894  and  in  1897  reached 
over  a  million  barrels  annually. 

In  the  Kern  County  fields,  the  first  well  was  drilled  in  Sunset  in 
1891,  Midway  in  1900,  McKittrick  in  1892,  Kern  River  in  1899.  The 
Sunset-Midway  district  attained  a  yield  of  over  4,000,000  bbl.  in  1909, 
and  over  20,000,000  bbl.  in  1910.  Kern  Eiver  field  produced  over 
3,000,000  bbl.  in  1901. 

The  first  well  in  the  Santa  Maria-Lompoc  group,  Santa  Barbara 
County,  was  drilled  in  1901,  and  the  district  advanced  to  a  yield  of 
over  3,000,000  bbl.  annually  in  1905. 

The  Whittier-Fullerton  field  in  Los  Angeles  and  Orange  counties 
became  an  important  factor  in  1902.  The  Montebello  field,  Los  Angeles 
County,  was  the  conspicuous  addition  in  1918-1919;  and  Elk  Hills, 
Kern  County,  with  Huntington  Beach  and  Richfield,  Orange  County, 
in  1920.  In  1921,  the  new  fields  added  were  Long  Beach  and  Santa  Fe 
Springs,  Los  Angeles  County;  in  1922,  Torrance  field  in  Los  Angeles 
County,  and  Wheeler  Ridge  field  in  Kern  County ;  but  the  production 
from  the  large  number  of  new  wells  started  in  these  new  Los  Angeles 
County  fields  did  not  reach  its  peak  until  August  and  September,  1923. 
Dominguez  (Compton)  came  in  during  1923;  followed  by  Rosecrans 
and  Inglewood  in  1924.  Ventura  recorded  important  additions  to  its 
producing  area  in  1925  and  1926.  Seal  Beach,  Orange  County,  and 
Mt.  Poso,  Kern  County,  were  the  new  fields  added  in  1926. 

The  efi'ect  of  the  advent  of  these  various  fields  to  the  producing 
column  will  be  noted  in  the  tabulation  herewith,  by  years : 

'Hanks,  Henry  G.,  Report  IV  of  State  Mineralogist,  p.  298.  1SS4. 
-  Idem,  p.  301. 


26 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


TABLE  C. 
Total    Petroleum    Production    In    California. 


Year 

Barrels 

Value 

Year 

Barrels 

Value 

To  and  inc.  1875 

(a)  175,000 

12,000 

13,000 

15,227 

19,858 

40,552 

99,862 

128,636 

142,857 

262,000 

325,000 

(a)  377,145 

678,572 

690,333 

303,220 

307,360 

323,600 

385,049 

470,179 

783,078 

1,245,339 

1.257.780 

1.911,569 

2.249,088 

2,677,875 

4,329,950 

7,710,315 

(b)  $472,500 

30,000 

29.250 

30,454 

39,716 

60,828 

124,828 

257,272 

285,714 

655,000 

750,750 

(b)  870,205 

1,357,144 

1,380,666 

368.048 

384.200 

401,264 

561,333 

608,092 

1,064,521 

1,000,235 

1,180,793 

1,918,269 

2,376,420 

2,660,793 

4,152,928 

2,961,102 

1902 

14.356,910 

24,340.839 

29.736,003 

34,275,701 

32,624,000 

40  311,171 

48,306,910 

58,191,723 

77,697,568 

84.648,157 

89,689,250 

98,494,532 

102,881,907 

91,146,620 

90,262,557 

95,396,309 

99,731,177 

101.182,962 

103.377.361 

112,599,860 

138,468,222 

262,875,690 

228,933,471 

232,492,147 

224,673,281 

$4,692,189 
7.313,271 

1876  

1903 

1877... 

1904 

8,317,809 

1878      

1905 

9,007,820 

1879  

1906. 

1907 -- 

9,238,020 

1880... 

16,783,943 

1881.  

1908 

26,566,181 

1882    

1909 

32,398.187 

1883 

1910  --  

37,689,542 

1884 

1911. 

1912 

40,552,088 

1885 

41,868,344 

1886 

1913. 

1914 

48,578,014 

1887 

47,487,109 

1888. 

1915- 

1916 

1917...  .  

43,503,837 

1889... 

57,421,334 

1890... 

86,976,209 

1891 

1918- 

127.459,221 

1892  

1919 

142.610.563 

1893. 

1920- 

178.394.937 

1894   

1921 

203,138,225 

1895 

1922 

173,381,265 

1896 

1923 

242,731,309 

1897... 

1924 

274,652,874 

1898 

1925 -.. 

330,609,829 

1899 

1926 

345,546,677 

iQnn 

Totals 

1901.- 

2.544,628.772 

$2,562,901,128 

»  U.  S.  G.  S..  Min.  Res.  of  U.  S.,  1886,  p.  440,  for  quantities  to  and  including  1886. 

"Values  have  been  estimated  for  the  years  to  and  including  1886,  after  consulting 
a  number  of  contemporaneous  publications,  including  the  Mining  &  Scientific  Press, 
Reports  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  and  U.  S.  Reports.  The  figures  for  1887  to  date 
are  from  records  of  the   State   Mining  Bureau. 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


27 


Well  Data. 

The  following  table  is  compiled  from  the  monthly  statements  issued 
by  the  American  Petroleum  Institute: 

TABLE    D. 
Wells  Operated   by   Fields,   1926. 


Field 

WeUs 
producing 
Dec,  1925 

Wells 

producing 
Dec,  1926 

WeUs 

completed 

during 

year 

Daily 

initial 
output 

WeUs 

abandoned 

during 

year 

Barrels 
per  weU 

produced 
per  day 

Dec,  1925 

Barrels 
per  well 

produced 
per  day 

Dec,  1926 

Kern  River 

McKittriek  

1,599 
302 

2,906 
240 
291 
923 
22 
6 
251 
135 

1,339 
310 
2,985 
245 
312 
954 

28 

6 

215 

135 

76 
521 
371 
185 
444 
211 
351 
186 
198 
449 
711 
661 

75 

137 

212 

5 

11 

31 

9 

161 

14 

5 
20 

6 

5,170 

225 

21,704 

4,053 
157 
843 
693 

15 

8 

30 

11 

2 

12 

7.4 
18.4 
31.8 
3,769.3 
14.5 
20.1 
45.7 

9.5 
22.4 

0.9 

9.2 
17.3 

Midway-Sunset-.-     - 

30.2 

Elk  Hills                .       . 

141.3 

Lost  Hills-Bel  ridge 

15.7 

Coalinga    _ 

20.3 

Wheeler  Ridge  .            .. 

35.2 

WatsonviUe 

9.7 

Santa  Maria-Lompoc 

SiimmprlnnH 

3 

535 

37 

22.3 
1.0 

Ventura  Ave. 

32 
12 

86,874 
1,475 

1 
23 
11 

3 
11 

A 

6 

6 

19 

103 

29 

695.8 

Ventura-Newhall 

591 
387 
189 
401 
209 
350 
163 
185 
335 
620 
603 
62 
113 
171 

62.2 

5.0 

10.6 

34.8 

81.5 

142.7 

110.4 

72.2 

13S.3 

175.8 

52.3 

402.4 

217.5 

338.0 

117.5 

Los  Angeles-Salt  Lake . 

5.0 

Whittier 

5 

le 

2 

12 

26 

20 

126 

259 

52 

11 

33 

43 

5 

7 

220 

16,423 

348 

2,463 

4,380 

C,803 

112,159 

62.996 

7,471 

4,536 

18,527 

19,861 

10,549 

155 

10.4 

Fullerton .- 

60.3 

Coyote - 

74.4 

Santa  Fe  Springs 

Montebello 

RichGeld 

123.7 
93.6 
91.7 

Huntington  Beach  .  . 

21.0 

Long  Beach 

132.7 

Torrance  (Redondo) .  

39.8 

Dominguez  (Compton) 

262.1 

Rosecrans ., 

29 

15 

2 

1 

86 

91.4 

Inglewood 

186.6 

Seal  Beach 

14.0 

Newport .-  

9 

8.1 

86.4 

Totals - .-.- 

11,069 

11,333 

913 

391,620 

482 

''56.1 

»57.7 

"State  average. 

"WILDCAT  WELLS  ABANDONED  IN  1925  AND  1926.i 

"In  California  during  1925  and  1926,  391  wildcat  wells  were  drilled,  and  all  but 
two  were  abandoned  as  unsuccessful,  as  shown  by  the  records  of  the  Department  of 
Petroleum  and  Gas.  Most  of  these  wells  were  drilled  to  discover  new  fields,  but 
many  were  drilled  near  the  edges  of  producing  fields  in  an  effort  to  extend  the 
proved  area.  Many  other  wells  were  drilled  and  abandoned  which  are  not  included 
in  this  number  as  they  were  not  drilled  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  or  producing 
oil.  Some  were  small  diameter  holes  drilled  on  United  States  Government  land, 
usually  to  a  depth  of  about  500  feet,  merely  to  comply  with  prospecting  permit 
requirements,  and  the  others  were  drilled  by  some  of  the  large  companies  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  geologic  information  as  to  subsurface  structure  and  geologic 
age  of  the  formations  in  areas  where  little  can  be  determined  from  surface  evidence. 
Many  of  these  wells  were  2000  feet  and  more  in  depth. 

"Wildcat  drilling  during  the  iwo  years  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  two  fields, 
Seal  Beach  and  Mt.  Poso,  by  Marland  Oil  Company  of  California  and  Shell  Company 
of  California,  respectively.  Small  quantities  of  oil  were  discovered  in  wildcat  well.s 
in  other  areas,  but  the  significance  and  commercial  value  of  these  discoveries  had 
not  been  determined  by  the  end  of  1926. 

"A  list  of  1070  wells  abandoned  during  the  eleven-year  period  1914  to  1924,  inclu- 
sive, was  given  in  'Summary  of  Operations — California  Oil  Fields,  Vol.  11,  No.  1,  and 
in  Table  III  it  was  shown  that  the  average  depth  drilled  was  2773  feet.  The  average 
depth  drilled  in  252  wells  by  nine  large  companies  was  3759  feet  resulting  in  the 
discovery  of  13  of  the  15  new  fields  discovered  in  the  eleven-year  period. 

"Table  I,  given  below,  shows  the  number  of  wildcat  wells  drilled,  total  and  average 
depths,  and  fields  discovered  by  ten  large  companies  and  all  others  during  1925  and 
1926.  That  it  is  becoming  increasingly  difficult  to  discover  new  fields  in  California 
and  that  greater  depths  of  drilling,  consequently  greater  costs,  are  necessary  is 
evident  from  a  comparison  with  the  table  referred  to  above.  Two  fields  were  dis- 
covered in  drilling  and  abandoning  391  wells,  or  two  fields  in  drilling  and  abandon- 
ing 122  wells  by  ten  large  companies  which  drilled  5  or  more  wells  in  the  two-year 
period.  The  average  depth  of  the  391  wells  was  3642  feet;  and  of  122  wells  drilled  by 
the  ten  companies  was  4566  feet.  Of  the  391  wells  listed  in  Table  I,  one  was  7221 
feet  deep,  21  were  over  6000  feet  deep,  and  71  were  over  5000  feet  deep." 

*  Bush,  R.  D.,  Summary  of  Operations,  California  Oil  Fields :  Cal.  State  Min.  Bur., 
Twelfth  Rep.  of  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor,  No.  8,  Feb.,  1927.  pp.  49-50. 


28 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


"TABLE  I. 
Number  of  Wildcat  Wells  Abandoned,  Depths,  and  Fields  Discovered  by  Ten  Companies. 


Company 


Total 

wells 


Number 
new 
fields 


Total 
depths 
(feet) 


Average 
depth 

per  well 
(feet) 


Associated  Oil  Company 

California  Petroleum  Corporation'.. 

General  Petroleum  Corporation 

Marland  Oil  Company  of  California. 

Milham  Exploration  Company 

Pan  American  Petroleum  Company. 

Shell  Company  of  California 

Standard  Oil  Company  of  California 

Superior  Oil  Company 

Union  Oil  Company  of  California... 

Totals- 

All  others 

Grand  totals 


7 
7 
9 
10 
9 
5 

17 
29 
10 
19 


38,083 
31,058 
32,155 
46,736 
29,173 
24,461 
86,572 
136,634 
42,712 
89,494 


5,440 
4,437 
3,573 

4,674 
.3,241 
4,892 
5,092 
4,711 
4,271 
4,710 


122 
269 


557,078 
866,992 


4,566 
3,223 


391 


1,424,070 


3,642 


'  Includes  Petroleum  Midway  Company,  Ltd." 
Specific  Gravity  of  Oils  Produced. 

The  proportion  of  heavy  and  light  oil  produced  in  the  various  fields 
is  shown  in  Table  E,  following,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the 
Standard  Oil  Company.  Under  present  practice,  oil  below  18°  Baume 
may  be  considered  as  largely  refinable  for  fuel  oil  and  lubricants,  while 
the  lighter  oils  yield  varying  amounts  of  the  higher  refined  products 
with  corresponding  proportions  of  residuum  and  fuel  oil.  Specific 
gravities  in  California  range  from  8°  Baume  in  the  Casmalia  field, 
Santa  Barbara  County,  to  56°  Baume  in  Ventura  County. 

California  crude  oils  are  all  essentially  of  asphalt  base,  with  a  few 
notable  exceptions.  In  the  following  localities  are  wells  yielding  crudes 
containing  both  asphalt  and  paraffine  constituents :  Oil  City  field,  Coal- 
inga ;  a  few  deep  wells  in  East  Side  field,  Coalinga ;  a  considerable  part 
of  the  Ventura  County  fields;  Western  Minerals  area,  south  of  Mari- 
copa ;  Wheeler  Ridge,  Kern  County. 


TABLE   E. 
Production  of  Light  and   Heavy  Oil,  by   Fields,  1926. 


Under  18° 
Field  (.barrels) 

Kern  River 4,410,705 

Lost    Hills-Belridge 361,325 

McKittrick    1,983,433 

Midway-Sunset    10,287,459 

Elk  Hills 918,477 

Coalinga    3,959,261 

Wheeler  Ridge 

Watsonville    23,725 

Santa  Maria 839,736 

Summerland 38,715 

Ventura-Newhall 59,313 

Ventura    Avenue 

Los   Angeles-Salt   Lake 657,002 

Whittier-Fullerton    894,536 

Santa  Fe  Springs 

Huntington    Beach 407,168 

Long    Beach 225,382 

Torrance    3,995,809 

Dominguez    

Rosecrans   

Inglewood   1,720,920 

Seal   Beach 

Miscellaneous    33,399 


Totals    _, 30,816,365 


18°  and  over 
(.barrels) 

"23,"8~4~5~9  89 

11,404,804 

3,424,409 

372,202 

~"i,"oT6"i63 

~~2riir5~043 

14,787,355 

2,301 

24,939,916 

17,529,016 

18,648,774 

37,658,367 

6,365,245 

7,804,221 

6,097,299 

15,673,524 

588,657 

6,736 

193,676,039 


Total 

(barrels) 

4,410,705 

1,707,343 

1,983,433 

34,133,448 

12,323,281 

7,383,670 

372,202 

23,725 

1,855,899 

38,715 

2,224,356 

14,787,355 

659,303 

25,834,452 

17,529,016 

19,055,942 

37,883,749 

10,361,054 

7,804,221 

6,097,299 

17,394,444 

588,657 

40,135 

224,492.404 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  29 

As  previously  noted  by  the  writer/  a  decided  change  has  taken  place 
in  the  relative  proportions  of  light  and  heavj^  crudes  produced  in  Cali- 
fornia since  1910,  taking  18°  Baume  as  the  dividing  line.  This  subject 
has  also  been  covered  in  detail  and  with  charts,  by  CoUom  and  Barnes.^ 

A  marked  drop  took  place  in  the  low-gravity  yield  from  1910  to  and 
including  1911.  From  1914,  it  remained  almost  stationarj',  with  a 
slight  drop  in  1921,  while  the  high-gravity  yield  has  increased  at  a 
rapid  rate  since  1915.  The  proportions  have  been  reversed  from 
approximately  75%  low — 25%  high  in  1914  to  25%  low — 75%  high  in 
1921;  10%  low— 90%  high  in  1923;  and  14%  low— 86%  high  in  1924- 
]926. 

This  has  been  an  important  factor  in  its  effect  upon  the  average 
price  per  barrel  of  the  state's  output  in  these  years,  as  well  as  its  effect 
upon  the  relative  situation  between  production  and  consumption.  It 
has  been  a  fortunate  development,  in  view  of  the  increased  demand  for 
refinery  products  (gasoline  in  particular). 

Oil  in    'Storage.' 

Field,  refinery,  pipe-line,  and  tank-farm  stocks  of  crude  and  refinery 
products  in  Pacific  Coast  territory  totaled  145,612,176  barrels,^  Decem- 
ber 31,  1926,  compared  with  157,316,309  barrels  on  December  31,  1925. 
Of  the  11,704,133  barrels  decrease  during  the  year,  8,214,864  barrels  of 
tank-farm  oils  were  destroyed  by  fire. 

Dec.  31,1925 

Dec.  31,  1926  (barrels) 

Stocks                                                                                                (barrels)  (^revised) 
Heavy  crude,  heavier  than  20°  A.  P.  I.,  including  all  grades 

of  fuel   88,707,499  86,519,383 

Reflnable  crude,  20°  A.  P.  I.,  and  lighter 30,835,057  44,196,138 

Gasoline    11,673,563  10,172,562 

Naphtha   distillates    3,832,042  6,548,483 

All  other  stocks 10,564,015  9,879,743 

Totals,    all    stocks 145,612,176  157,316,309 


Operating  Data. 

The  following  tabulation  (Table  F)  is  compiled  from  data  published 

by  the  Department  of  Petroleum  and  Gas,*  semiannually,  and  here  com- 

'  bined  to  show  the  entire  year 's  operations  for  all  fields.     The  districts 

are  the  geographical  subdivisions  as  administered  by  the  Department, 

and  which  are  outlined  on  the  accompanying  map. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  state  average  yield  of  oil  per  well  per  day 
was  60.1  barrels  for  the  first  six  months  of  1926  and  60.9  barrels  for 
the  second.  This  is  somewhat  higher  than  the  figure  of  57.7  barrels 
average  for  December  derived  from  American  Petroleum  Institute  data 
j  as  shown  in  Table  D,  on  a  preceding  page,  due  in  part  at  least,  to  the 
fact  that  the  latter  is  on  a  full-time  basis,  whereas  the  Bureau  figures 
allow  for  shut-down  time. 


'  Bradley,  W.  W..  Mineral  production  of  California  in  1921 :  Cal.   State  Min.  Bur.. 
Report  XVIII,  p.  442,  Sept.,  1922. 

-  Collom,  R.  E.,  and  Barnes,   R.  M.,  California  oil  production  and  reserves  :   Cal. 
State  Min.  Bur.,  Ninth  Ann.  Rep.  of  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor,  Aug.,  1923,  pp.  5-23. 

-Standard  Oil  Bulletin,  February,  1927,  p.  15. 

*  Summary  of  operations,  California  Oil  Fields:  Cal.  State  Min.  Bur.,  Twelfth  Ana. 
Rep.  of  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisor,  Aug.,  1926,  pp.  6-7;  Feb.,  1927,  pp.  8-9. 


30 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


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STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


31 


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43  INGLE  WOOD 

44  NEWPORT 

45  SEAL  BEACH 


m 


OUTLINE  MAP  of  CALIFORNIA 

SHOWING  LOCATION   OF 

OIL  FIELDS  AND  DISTRICTS 


CALIFORNIA    STATE    MINING    BUREAU 

R.D.  BUSH 

STATE  OIL   &  GAS    SUPERVISOR 


STATISTICS   OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


33 


Financial  and  Operating  Conditions  of  California  Oil    Fields,  1926. 

Financial  results  of  the  oil  business  during  1926  are  shown  by  the 
following  tables.  The  features  worthy  of  mention  are:  (1)  The  higher 
price  received  for  the  year  as  shown  by  the  state  average  of  all  grades, 
but  especially  the  lighter  gravities.  (2)  Decreases  in  the  dividends  paid 
by  companies  operating  in  all  counties  except  Orange;  but  the  total  of 
dividends  paid  by  the  miscellaneous  and  marketing  companies  continued 
at  approximately  the  same  amount  as  in  1925.  (3)  Decreases  in  the 
number  of  barrels  per  well  per  day  yield  (see  Table  I)  in  most  of  the 
older  fields,  with  marked  drops  in  Los  Angeles  and  Orange  counties. 
(4)  Somewhat  higher  operating  costs  per  barrel  in  most  of  the  fields. 

With  reference  to  Table  I,  it  should  be  noted  that  although  it  lacks 
data  from  the  larger  operators  who  have  refineries  and  with  interests 
in  more  than  one  field,  yet  the  data  given  are  of  economic  value  and 
interest  in  that  they  indicate  the  conditions  prevailing  among  the 
smaller  companies  and  operators. 

Operating  cost  per  well  is  not  always  lower  for  the  dividend  com- 
panies than  others.  Profitable  operations  seem  to  depend  generally 
upon  large  wells,  high-grade  oil,  and  proximity  to  market.  Price  and 
profits  have  usually  been  greater  in  the  Los  Angeles-Orange-Ventura 
fields  than  in  others,  doubtless  largely  due  to  the  proximity  to  market 
and  higher  grades  of  oil.  Crude  oil  testing  as  high  as  56°  Baume  is 
obtained  from  some  of  the  Ventura  wells. 

TABLE  G.    CAPITALIZATION. 


Field 


Fresno  County — Coalinga ._. ._- 

Kern  County. 

Kern  River 

Midway 

Sunset  and  Maricopa _ 

McKittrick,  Lost  Hills,  Belridge,  Devils  Den,  Elk  Hills 

Los  Angeles  County 

Orange  County 

Santa  Barbara  County 

Ventura  Countj' 

Subtotals 

Miscellaneous  and  marketing  companies" 

Totals 


Number  of 
companies 
considered* 


45 

37 
60 
30 
40 
98 
37 
19 
35 


401 
90 


491 


Per  cent 
of  total 
product 
of  field 


13 

38 


)     a:      { 


17 
12 
10 
39 
13 


67 


Capital 


Cash 


$2,292,374 

8,058,269 
10,736,465 
4,347,012 
3,553,416 
19,167,281 
4,289,732 
2,C03,6J6 
2,226,475 


$56,674,630 
91,523,811 


$148,198,441 


Property 


$5,756  204 

4,933,514 

39,501,777 

6,291,017 

4,386,316 

26,412.30:) 

12,?32,74t 

3,471,173 

9,394,563 


$112,475,677 
980,558,817 


$1,093,044,494 


*  See  Table  I,  following. 

"  Includes  companies  having  refineries,  and  those  operating  in  several  fields  whose  data  could  not  be  segregated  as 
to  counties  or  fields. 


3—55185 


34 


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STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


35 


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36  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Proved  Oil   Land. 

The  total  proved  oil  land  of  the  state  is  121,435  acres,  a  decrease 
during  1926  of  one  acre.  Of  this  1926  total,  22,493  acres,  being  owned 
by  Federal,  State,  and  City  governments,  or  for  other  reasons,  is  not 
assessable  for  the  support  of  the  Department  of  Petroleum  and  Gas  of 
the  State  Mining  Bureau.  The  acreage  in  1926  was  distributed  by 
counties  as  follows : 

TABLE  J. 

Proved  Oil  Lands  and  Number  of  Wells,  1926. 

Number 
Land  wells 

County  (acres)      Dec.  31, 1926 

Fresno 14,665  931 

Kern    77,502  5,309 

Los  Angeles* 10,041  2,976 

Orange 6,536  1,165 

San  Luis  Obispo 402  18 

Santa  Barbara 7,394  291 

Santa  Clara 80  9 

Ventura    4,815  579 

Kings,  San  Bernardino,  San  Mateo,  Sonoma 3 

Totals    121,435  11,281 

*  Not  including  the  old  Los  Angeles  City  field.  . 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  37 

CHAPTER  THREE. 

METALS. 

Bibliographi) :  Reports  of  State  Mineralogist  I-XXII  (inc.).  Bulle- 
tins 5,  6,  'l8.  23,  27,  36,  50,  57,  76,  78,  85,  92,  95.  Spurr  and 
Wormser,  "Marketinp;  of  Metals  and  Minerals."  See  also  under 
each  metal. 

The  total  value  of  metals  produced  in  California  during  1926  was 
$20,928,744.  The  chief  of  these  is,  and  always  has  been,  gold,  followed 
in  1926  by  copper,  zinc,  silver,  lead,  quicksilver,  tungsten,  platinum 
and  manganese  ore.  There  was  a  small  output  of  iron  ore  and  anti- 
mony. There  was  no  production  of  arsenic,  cadmium,  molybdenum, 
nor  tin,  which  have  in  the  past  been  on  the  active  list.  Deposits  of  ores 
of  nickel  and  vanadium  have  also  been  found  in  the  state;  although 
there  has  yet  been  no  commercial  output  of  them.  The  above-noted 
total  of  this  group  is  a  net  decrease  of  $3,475,050  from  the  1925  total 
of  $24,403,794,  due  mainly  to  decreases  registered  by  copper,  gold  and 
silver,  in  spite  of  increases  by  lead  and  zinc. 

California  leads  all  states  in  the  Union  in  her  gold  production  and 
is  credited  with  approximately  30%  of  the  nation's  yield  in  1926.  The 
precious  metal  is  widely  distributed  through  the  state.  Thirty-four  of 
the  fifty-eight  counties  reported  an  output  in  1926  from  either  mines  oi' 
dredges. 

Copper,  which  is  second  in  importa'nce  among  the  metals  of  the 
state,  occurs  in  the  following  general  districts :  the  Shasta  County  belt, 
Avhich  has  been  by  far  the  most  important ;  the  Coast  Range  deposits, 
extending  more  or  less  continuously  from  Del  Norte  in  the  north  to  San 
Luis  Obispo  County  in  the  south;  the  Sierra  Nevada  belt,  starting  in 
Plumas  and  running  in  a  general  southerly  and  southeasterly  direction 
through  the  Mother  Lode  counties  and  ending  in  Kern;  the  eastern 
belt  in  Mono  and  Inyo  counties,  and  the  southern  belt,  in  San  Bernar- 
dino, Riverside  and  San  Diego  counties. 

Silver  is  not  generally  found  alone  in  the  state,  except  notably  in  the 
Rand  district,  San  Bernardino  County ;  but  is  associated  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  with  gold,  copper,  lead,  and  zinc. 

Quicksilver  has  for  many  years  been  one  of  the  state's  staple  prod- 
ucts and  California  has  supplied  approximately  75%  of  the  nation's 
output  of  this  metal. 

Tungsten  is  found  in  but  few  other  localities  of  importance  in  the 
United  States. 

Large  deposits  of  iron  ore  have  long  been  known  in  several  sections  of 
the  state,  but  for  various  economic  reasons  this  branch  of  the  mineral 
industry  thus  far  has  made  only  slight  progress  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Although  the  United  States  is  a  large  consumer  of  certain  metals, 
in  fact  the  largest  particularly  of  chromium  and  tin,  our  production 
from  domestic  sources  is  deficient.  We  have  large  reserves  of  low-grade 
chromite,  manganese,  tungsten,  and  antimony  ores,  but  they  can  not 
fully  supply  our  commercial  needs.  In  1925  the  United  States 
required,^  to  satisfy  its  trade  demands,  fully  60%  of  the  world's  pro- 

'  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  Press  Bulletin,  July  9,  1927. 


38 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


duction  of  chromite,  52%  of  that  of  tin,  and  30%  of  that  of  antimony, 
but  our  production  of  each  of  these  was  negligible.  We  also  re- 
quired 25%  of  the  world's  production  of  mercury,  although  producing 
but  10%,  and  30%  of  the  world's  output  of  manganese,  although  we 
produced  only  4.3%  from  domestic  sources. 

A  comparison  of  the  1926  metal  output  with  that  of  1925  is  afforded 
by  the  following  table : 


Substance 

1925 

1926 

Increase+ 
Decrease — 

Amount 

Value 

Amount 

Value 

Value 

46,968,499  lbs. 

$6,669,527 

13,065,330 

639,661 

19,450 

39,937 

621,831 

2,119,765 

348,471 

877,542 

2,280 

33,521,544  lbs. 

$4,693,014 

11,923,481 

645,429 

4,700 

32,005 

516,382 

1,262,015 

316,560 

1,533,568 

1.590 

$1,976,513— 

Gold                                         

1,141,849— 

Lead                -■- 

7,352,422  lbs. 
832  tons 
292  fine  oz. 
7,683  flasks 
3,054,416  fine  oz. 

573  tons 
11,546,602  lbs. 

8,067,873  lbs. 
235  tons 
306  fine  oz. 
5,892  flasks 
2,022,460  fine  oz. 

441  tons 
20,447,559  lbs. 

5,768+ 

Ma,ni;&D6S6  ore 

14,750— 

Platinum                               -  - 

7,932— 

105,449— 

Silver 

857,750— 

Tungsten  concentrates  _        

31,911— 

Zinc                       

656,026+ 

690— 

$24,403,794 

$20,928,744 

Npt  dpcrpdse 

$3,475,050— 

•Includes  iron  ore  and  antimony. 


STATISTICS    OP   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


39 


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40  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

ALUMINUM. 

Bibliography:  Report  XVIII,  p.  198.     Bulletins  38,  67.     U.   S. 
Geol.  Surv.,  Min.  Res.  of  U.  S. 

To  date  there  has  been  no  commercial  production  of  aluminum  ore 
in  California.  Only  a  single  authenticated  occurrence  of  bauxite  has 
thus  far  been  noted  in  this  state,  being  in  Riverside  County,  southeast 
of  Corona,  but  as  yet  undeveloped. 

Minerals  containing  aluminum  are  abundant,  the  most  widely  dis- 
tributed being  the  clays.  There  are  only  two,  however,  thus  far  of 
consequence,  commercially,  in  the  production  of  the  metal :  bauxite  (to 
which  may  be  added  the  related  hydrated  oxides,  hydrargillite  and 
diaspore)  and  cryolite.  Cryolite  is  found  in  commercial  quantities 
only  in  South  Greenland,  and  was  formerly  the  only  ore  of  aluminum 
used,  being  still  employed  as  a  flux  in  the  extraction  of  the  metal. 
Bauxite  has  been,  for  some  years,  the  most  important  source  of  alumi- 
num and  its  salts.  Its  color  varies  from  gray  to  red,  according  to  the 
amount  of  iron  present,  the  composition  ranging  usually  between  the 
following  limits:  ALO3,  30%-60%  ;  Fe^O.,,  3%-25%  ;  SiOo,  0.5%-20%  ; 
TiOo,  0.0%-10%.  Besides  its  reduction  to  the  metal,  bauxite  is  also 
iitilized  in  the  manufacture  of  aluminum  salts,  refractory  bricks,  alun- 
dum  (fused  alumina)  for  use  as  an  abrasive,  and  in  the  refining  of  oil. 
The  most  important  producing  countries,  both  of  bauxite  and  the  metal, 
are  the  United  States  and  France,  the  former  yielding  more  than  60 
per  cent  of  the  world's  output.    In  1913  France  led. 

ANTIMONY. 

Bihliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  VIII,  X,  XII-XV  inc.), 
XVil,  XXII.    Bulletins  38,  91. 

Production  of  antimony  in  California  has  been  irregular,  and  small 
in  amount  except  during  1915-17  when  the  high  war-time  prices  per- 
mitted American  producers,  for  a  short  period,  to  compete  with  Chinese 
antimony.  The  principal  commercial  production  of  antimony  in  Cali- 
fornia has  come  from  Kern,  Im^o  and  San  Benito  counties,  and  other 
occurrences  have  been  noted  in  Nevada,  Riverside  and  Santa  Clara 
counties.  The  commonest  occurrence  is  in  the  form  of  the  sulphide, 
stibnite ;  but  in  the  Kernville  and  Havilah  districts  in  Kern  County 
there  were  notable  deposits  of  the  native  metal,  being  among  the  few 
localities  of  the  world  where  native  antimony  has  been  found. 

California  producers  claim  that  they  can  not  operate  profitably  unless 
the  price  of  antimony  be  above  12  cents  per  pound.  During  most  of 
1925  and  1926  the  price  was  up,  at  times  as  high  as  23^,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence there  was  some  revival  of  antimony  mining  in  California. 
Present  New  York  quotations  (August,  1927)  are  around  12^  per 
pound  for  Chinese  brands.  China  is  the  principal  world  source  of 
antimony. 

The  antimony  market  (New  York  being  the  chief  center)  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  most  unstable  of  the  metal  markets.  As  the  world's 
requirements  for  antimony  are  comparatively  small,  the  prices  react 
sharply  if  an  extra  quantity  of  the  metal  be  thrown  onto  the  market, 


STATISTICS    OP   ANNUAL   I'KODUCTION. 


41 


and  the  trade  becomes  so  cautious  that  the  market  may  disappear  alto- 
gether, causing  production  to  fall  off  rapidly. 

Pure  antimony  metal  and  manufactured  antimony  compounds  are  of 
considerable  importance  as  pigments  in  the  ceramic  industry.  The 
most  important  use  of  the  metal,  commercially,  is  in  various  alloys, 
particularly  type-metal  (with  tin  and  lead),  babbitt  (with  tin  and 
copper),  and  britannia  metal  (with  tin  and  copper).  An  alloy  of  6% 
antimony  and  9.4%  lead  is  being  extensively  used  in  making  battery 
plates  for  storage  batteries  for  automobiles,  airplanes,  and  radio 
apparatus. 

Antimony  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  production  of  antimony  in  California  by  years  since  1887  has 
been  as  follows : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887 

75 
100 

$15,500 
20,000 

1900  .-- 

70 
50 

$5,700 

1888 

1901 

8,350 

1889 

1902         

1893 ._- 

1894 

50 
150 
33 
17 
20 
40 
75 

2,250 
6,000 
1,485 
2,320 
3,500 
1,200 
13,500 

1915 

1916             

510 

1,015 

158 

35,666 
64,793 

1895 

1917        

18,786 

1896 

1918 

1897 

1898 

1899 _-- 

19251 

1926/ 

Totals 

*26 

770 

2,389 

$199,820 

*Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 


ARSENIC. 

Bibliography:  Report  XVIII.    Bulletin  67.    U.  S.  G.  S.,  Min.  Res. 
of  U.  S. 

Arsenic  is  found  in  a  number  of  localities  in  California  in  the  mineral 
arsenopyrite  (FeAsS),  which  is  frequently  gold  bearing;  and  in  scoro- 
dite  (FeAs04+2HoO),  an  oxidation  product  of  arsenopyrite.  The 
occurrence  of  realgar  (AsS)  has  also  been  noted.  The  principal  source 
of  the  arsenic  of  commerce  in  the  United  States  has  been  as  a  by-product 
from  the  metallurgical  treatment  of  copper,  gold,  and  lead  ores.  It  is 
usually  recovered  in  the  form  of  the  tri-oxide,  or  'white  arsenic,'  for 
which  there  is  a  demand  for  the  preparation  of  insecticides,  for  use  in 
agriculture  and  horticulture,  and  especially  against  the  cotton-boll 
weevil  in  the  southern  states. 

Except  for  a  small  output  in  1924,  there  has  been  no  commercial 
recovery  of  arsenic  from  Californian  ores.  There  having  been  only  a 
single  operator,  the  figures  are  concealed  under  the  'Unapportioned' 
item. 

BERYLLIUM. 

Bibliography:  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  118,  No.  8,  p.  285, 
Aug.  23,  1924. 

Beryllium  is  a  metal  resembling  aluminum  closely  in  its  chemical 
character,  and  has  a  specific  gravity  of  2.7.  Several  alloys  have  been 
prepared  experimentally,  of  which  copper-beryllium  has  received  the 
most  attention.    The  addition  of  5%  beryllium  produces  a  golden-yellow 


42  mineraij  industry  of  California. 

alloy.  The  compounds  of  beryllium  at  present  used  commercially  are  the 
nitrate  and  oxide.  The  nitrate  is  used  by  incandescent  mantle  manufac- 
turers to  harden  the  thorium  oxide  skeleton,  and  the  oxide  has  been 
added  to  materials  being  used  for  the  manufacture  of  abrasive  com- 
pounds and  in  dental  cements.  Beryllium  sulphate  has  been  used  to 
some  extent  in  medical  research. 

There  are  a  number  of  beryllium  minerals,  but  none  have  been  found 
in  commercial  quantities,  except  beryl,  which  is  a  beryllium-aluminum 
silicate.  The  chief  use  at  present  for  ground  berjd  is  as  an  addition  to 
porcelain  products,  where  it  reduces  the  coefficient  of  expansion.  Beryl- 
lium metal  is  difficult  to  separate  from  aluminum. 

Beryl  occurs  in  California  in  the  pegmatite  dikes  of  the  tourmaline 
gem  district  in  northern  San  Diego  and  southwestern  Riverside  coun- 
ties. Thus  far  there  have  been  no  commercial  shipments  of  beryl  except 
for  gem  purposes  (the  pink  and  aquamarine  varieties). 

BISMUTH. 
Bibliography:  Bulletins  38,  67,  91.  Am.  Jour.  Sci.,  1903,  Vol.  16. 

Several  bismuth  minerals  have  been  found  in  California,  notably 
native  bismuth  and  bismite  (the  ochre)  in  the  tourmaline  gem  district 
in  San  Diego  and  Riverside  counties  near  Pala.  Other  occurrences  of 
bismuth  minerals,  including  the  sulphide,  bismuthinite,  have  been  noted 
in  Inyo,  Fresno,  Nevada,  Tuolumne,  San  Bernardino,  and  Mono  coun- 
ties, but  only  in  small  quantities.  The  only  commercial  production 
recorded  was  20  tons  valued  at  $2,400,  in  1904,  and  credited  to  River- 
side County.  Recovery  of  bismuth  from  blister  copper  in  the  electro- 
lytic refinery  has  been  noted.  In  the  United  States,  the  principal 
recovery  of  bismuth  is  obtained  as  a  by-product  from  the  refining  of 
lead  bullion. 

The  uses  of  bismuth  are  somewhat  restricted,  being  employed  princi- 
pally in  the  preparation  of  medicinal  salts,  and  in  low  melting-point 
or  cliche  alloys.  These  alloys  are  utilized  in  automatic  fire  sprinkler 
systems,  in  electrical  fuses,  and  in  solders. 

Present  quotations  for  bismuth  are  around  $2.00  per  pound  for  the 
refined  metal. 

CADMIUM. 

BiUiography:  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Min.  Res.  of  U.  S.,  1908,  1918. 

During  1917  and  1918,  cadmium  metal  was  recovered  by  the  elec- 
trolytic zinc  plant  of  the  Mammoth  Copper  Company  in  Shasta  County. 
It  was  shipped  in  the  form  of  '  sticks '  and  amounted  to  a  total  of  several 
thousand  pounds  for  the  two  years,  the  exact  figures  being  concealed 
under  'Unapportioned.'  That  was  the  first,  and  thus  far  the  only, 
commercial  production  of  cadmium  recorded  from  Californian  ore.  Cad- 
mium occurs  there  associated  with  zinc  sulphide,  sphalerite.  Cadmium 
also  occurs  in  the  Cerro  Gordo  Mine,  Inyo  County,  associated  with 
smithsonite  (zinc  carbonate). 

There  are  several  cadmium  minerals,  but  none  of  them  occur  in 
sufficient  quantities  individually  to  be  profitable  as  distinct  ores.  The 
cadmium  of  commerce  is  derived  as  a  by-product  in  the  reduction  of 
zinc  minerals  and  ores,  in  nearly  all  of  which  it  occurs  in  at  least  minute 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  43 

proportions,  the  average  ratio  being-  about  1  of  cadmium  to  200  of  zinc. 
As  cadmium  behaves  metallurgically  much  the  same  as  zinc,  it  con- 
stitutes a  fraction  of  1  per  cent  of  nearly  all  metallic  zinc. 

Cadmium  is  produced  in  the  United  States  in  two  forms — metallic 
cadmium  and  the  pigment,  cadmium  sulphide.  The  principal  use  of 
the  metal  is  in  low-melting  point,  or  cliche  alloys,  and  its  salts  are 
utilized  in  the  arts,  medicine,  and  in  electroplating.  The  sulphide  is 
employed  as  a  paint  pigment,  being  a  strong  yellow,  which  is  unaffected 
by  hydrogen  sulphide  gas  from  coal  smoke.  It  is  also  employed  in 
coloring  glass  and  porcelain.-  Cadmium  cliche  metal  is  stated  to  be 
superior  to  the  corresponding  bismuth  alloy,  for  making  stereotype 
plates.  Cadmium  is  also  used  in  bronze  telegraph  and  telephone  wires, 
and  gives  some  promise  of  being  utilized  in  electroplating. 

Present  quotations  for  cadmium  are  60^5  per  pound  for  the  refined 
metal. 

COBALT. 

Bibliography:  Report  XIV.     Bulletins  67,  91.     U.  S.  G.  S.,  Min. 
Res.  of  U.  S.,  1912,  1918. 

Occurrences  of  some  of  the  cobalt  minerals  have  been  noted  in  several 
localities  in  California,  but  to  date  no  commercial  production  has 
resulted.  Some  of  the  copper  ores  of  the  foothill  copper  belt  in  Mari- 
posa and  Madera  counties  have  been  found  to  contain  cobalt  up  to  3%. 
The  most  notable  occurrence  thus  far  found  in  this  state  is  in  the 
Mar-John  Mine  near  Sheep  Ranch,  Calaveras  County.  Lenses  of 
smaltite  (CoAsa),  have  been  uncovered  in  the  vein,  there,  and  several 
tons  taken  out  in  the  course  of  development  work ;  but  as  yet  there  have 
been  no  commercial  shipments. 

The  most  important  use  of  cobalt  is  in  the  manufacture  of  the  alloy, 
stellite,  in  which  it  is  combined  with  chromium,  for  making  high-speed 
lathe  tools,  and  non-tarnishing  cutlery  and  surgeons'  appliances.  The 
metal  is  also  used  in  electroplating,  similarly  to  nickel;  and  the  oxide, 
carbonate,  chloride,  sulphate  and  other  salts  are  used  in  ceramics  for 
coloring.  Some  of  the  organic  salts  of  cobalt  (acetate,  resinate,  oleate) 
are  employed  as  'driers'  in  paint  and  varnish. 

The  nominal  quotation  for  cobalt  is  around  $2.50  per  pound  for  the 
refined  metal. 

COPPER. 

Bihliography :    State    Mineralogist    Reports    VIII-XXII     (inc.). 
Bulletins  23,  50,  91. 

Copper  is  second  only  to  gold  among  the  metals  produced  in  Cali- 
fornia. The  output  for  1926  amounted  to  a  total  of  33,521,544  pounds 
of  recoverable  metal  valued  at  $4,693,014,  a  decrease  from  the  1925 
figures  of  46,968,499  pounds  and  $6,669,527.  The  average  price  was 
slightly  lower  (14.0^  per  pound  against  14.2^)  than  in  1925.  The  1924 
price  was  13.1^  per  pound. 

As  for  several  years  past,  Plumas  County  ranked  first  for  1926,  with 
an  output  of  22,163,035  pounds;  Calaveras,  second,  with  5,240,927 
pounds;  and  Shasta,  third,  with  5,113,114  pounds;  Shasta  and  Cala- 
veras changing  places  compared  with  their  1925  positions. 


44 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Distribution  of  the  1926  copper  output,  by  counties,  was  as  follows : 


County 

Calaveras 
Inyo 


Mono    

Plumas    2 

Riverside    

San   Bernardino 
Shasta 


Trinity     

Amador,     Mariposa,     Napa,    Nevada, 
Tuolumne*     


Orange,     San     Diego, 


Totals     33,521,544 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each 


Pounds 

Value 

5,240,927 

$733,730 

42,462 

5,945 

2,628 

368 

22,163,035 

3,102,825 

22,125 

3,096 

171,232 

23,972 

5,113,114 

715,836 

760,140 

106,420 

5,881 

822 

33,521,544 

$4,693,014 

From  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,  Aug.   13,  1927. 
Copper  Production  of  the  United  States. 

According  to  preliminary  data  issued  by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,^ 
the  smelter  production  of  primary  copper  from  domestic  sources  during 
1926  amounted  to  1,739,622,094  pounds,  an  increase  of  approximately 
4%.  The  value  of  smelter  production  increased  approximately  2%  in 
1926.  The  average  price  of  2,751,000,000  pounds  of  copper  delivered 
during  the  year,  as  reported  to  the  Bureau  of  Mines  by  selling  agencies, 
was  14.0^  per  pound. 


■^U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  Press  Bulletin,  July  6,  1927. 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  45 

"Refined   Copper. 

"The  total  production  of  new  refined  copper  in  1926  was  2,322,000,000  pounds,  an 
increase  of  118,000,000  pounds  over  that  in  1925. 

"Primary  and  secondary  copper  produced  by  regular  refining  plants  and  imported, 
1925-1926,  in  pounds: 

"Primary : 

Domestic:  a  1925  1926 

Electrolytic    1,533,995,439  1,553,041,424 

Lake    138,029,764  172,372,304 

Casting   10,870,144  5,883,433 


1,682,895,347  1,731,297,161 
Foreign  :* 

Electrolytic    516,632,530  588,932,788 

Casting   5,045,947  2.255,427 


Refinery  production  of  new   copper 2,204,573,824  2,322,485,376 

Imports    of    refined    copper 99,773,546  170,565,766 

Total  new  refined   copper  made   available 2,304,347,370  2,493,051,142 

=1  = 

Secondary : 

Electrolytic    140,349,541  163,061,465 

Casting   58,010,653  62,056,941 

198,360,194  225,118,406 

2,502,707,564  2,718,169,548 

*  The  separation  of  refined  copper  into  metal  of  domestic  and  foreign  origin  is 
only  approximate,  as  an  accurate  separation  of  the  amounts  at  this  stage  of  manu- 

i    facture  is  not  possible. 

j  "In  addition  to  their  output  of  metallic  copper  the  regular  refining  companies 
produced  bluestone  (hydrous  copper  sulphate)  having  a  copper  content  of  8,498,000 
pounds,  as  compared  with  6,754,000  pounds  In  1925. 


"Stocks. 

"Stocks  of  Copper  January  1,  1922,  1923,  1924,  1925,  1926,  and  1927,   in  Pounds. 

Blister  and 
Refined         material  in  process 
Year  copper  of  refining  * 

1922    1 459,000,000  283,000,000 

1923    216,000,000  361,000,000 

1924 264,000,000  432,000,000 

1925   243,000,000  393,000,000 

1926   124,000,000  432,000,000 

1927   146,000,000  455,000,000 

«  "The  amounts  stated  in  the  last  column  in  the  table  above  do  not  include  copper 
in  stock  at  foreign  smelters  or  in  transit  from  foreign  smelters  to  refineries  in  the 
United  States." 


Copper  Production  of  California  by  Years. 

Although  some  mining  of  copper  ores  in  a  small  way  had  been  done 
earlier,  shipments  in  appreciable  quantities  began  in  1861  and  con- 
tinued of  importance  up  to  the  end  of  1867,  when  a  total  of  68,631  tons 
(of  2376  pounds)  of  high-grade  ores,  and  847  tons  of  matte  or  'regulus'^ 
had  been  shipped  to  smelters  at  New  York,  Boston,  and  Swansea,  "Wales. 
The  most  important  district  at  that  time  was  Copperopolis  and  vicinity 
in  Calaveras  County,  with  some  shipments  also  made  from  Mariposa,  El 
Dorado,  Fresno,  and  San  Luis  Obispo  counties.  From  1868  to  1882, 
the  output  was  insignificant.  There  are  wide  discrepancies  in  the  figures 
currently  recorded  for  copper  production  previous  to  1882  in  which 
year  the  data  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  began.  The  detailed  statis- 
tics of  the  California  State  Mining  Bureau  began  in  the  year  1894. 

^  Brown,  J.  Ross,  Mineral  resources  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  p.  168,  1867. 


46 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Amount  and  value  of  copper  production  in  California  annually  since 
1882  is  given  in  the  following  tabulation : 


Year 

Pounds 

Value 

Year 

Pounds 

Value 

1882 

826,695 

1,600,862 

876,166 

469,028 

430,210 

1,600,000 

1,570,021 

151,505 

23,347 

3,397,405 

2.980,944 

239,682 

738,594 

225,650 

1,992,844 

13,638,626 

21,543,229 

23,915,486 

29,515,512 

34,931,788 

27.860,162 

19,113,861 

29,974,154 

$144,672 

265,743 

120,911 

49,248 

43,021 

192,000 

235,303 

18,180 

3,502 

424,675 

342,808 

21,571 

72,486 

21,901 

199,519 

1,540,666 

2,475,168 

3,990,534 

4,748,242 

5,501,782 

3,239,975 

2,520,997 

3,969,995 

1905 

16,997,489 
28,726,448 
32,602,945 
40,868,772 
65,727,736 
53,721,032 
36,838,024 
34,169,997 
34,471,118 
30,491,535 
40,968,966 
55,809,019 
48,534,611 
47,793,046 
22,162,605 
12,947,299 
12,088,053 
22,883,987 
28,346,860 
52,089,349 
46,968,499 
33,521,544 

$2,650,605 

1883 

1906 

5,522,712 

1884 

1907 

6,341,387 

1885.... 

1908   

5,350,777 

1886 ... 

1909 

8.478,142 

1887 

19l0 

6,680,641 

1888 

1911 

4,604,753 

1889 

1912 

5  638,049 

1890 

1913 

5,343,023 

1891 

1914.... 

4,055,375 

1892 

1915 

7,169,567 

1803 

1916- 

13,729,017 

1894... 

1917 

13,249,948 

1895 

1918 

11,805,883 

1896 

1919.. 

4,122,246 

1897 

1920 

2,382,303 

1898 

1921 

1,559,358 

1899. 

1922 

3,090,582 

1900.. 

1923 

4,166,989 

1901 

1924 

6,823,704 

1902 

1925 

6.669,527 

1903 

1926 

4,693,014 

1904 

Totals 

1,016,344,705 

$164,270,501 

GOLD. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  I  to  XXIII  (inc.), 
(except  III  and  VIII).  Bulletins  36,  45,  57,  91,  92,  95.  U.S. 
Geol.  Surv.,  Prof.  Paper  73. 

Gold  was  the  first,  and,  for  many  years,  the  most  important  single 
mineral  product  of  California.  Although  now  surpassed  for  a  number 
of  years  in  annual  value  by  petroleum,  and  by  cement  beginning  with 
1920,  it  still  heads  our  metal  list,  and  California  continues  to  outrank 
all  the  other  gold-producing  states  of  the  United  States,  including 
Alaska.  In  fact,  at  present,  California  is  producing  approximately 
30%  of  the  gold  mined  in  the  entire  United  States. 

While  there  is  some  renewal  of  activity  in  the  development  of  gold 
lode  properties,  it  has  not  yet  become  reflected  in  an  increased  yield 
of  the  metal.  In  fact,  the  1926  figures  show  a  decrease  from  the  1925 
values. 

The  gold  yield  has  decreased  in  recent  years,  not  only  in  California 
but  in  the  country  as  a  M^hole.  Meanwhile,  the  actual  gold  reserves 
(monetary  stock  on  hand)  of  the  United  States  has  increased  to  such 
an  extent  that  we  now  hold  practically  one-half  of  the  world's  stock. 
A  recent  editorial  in  one  of  our  metropolitan  dailies  is  interesting  and 
pertinent  in  this  connection  •} 

"The  fact  that  the  United  States  hold  about  one-half  of  the  world's  monetary  stock 
ni«^°)?„f  J^li^®l*"®JP\'^*lP^  V^?{  average  reader  as  another  sign  of  his  country's  great- 
ness, but  one  by  wjaich  his  daily  life  is  affected  not  nearly  so  much  as  by  some  others. 
«fJ'fi?^*^'^®'v.*'^®  ^^°t  that  80  per  cent  of  the  world's  automobiles  are  in  the  United 
^m,-^^;  ^f  c,  1^^  some  relation,  usually  a  pleasant  one,  to  the  automobiles,  but  the 
ol  ^  +^  ^  ^°^^  stored  away  in  Treasury  and  Federal  reserve  bank  vaults  do  not 
seem  to  mean  much  m  his  daily  routine. 

"Yet  that  hidden  stock  of  gold  is  the  power  house  of  the  vast  circulating  system 
or   exchange,    currency   and    instruments    of   credit,    which    keep    the    business    of   the 

wol°alav!.'it'ire,wl'i\Tv^if«"t%^^^  P^'!^  ^"?  ^'^^'^  computed^' Vmeans  much  to  thi 
t^  r>^^  wln^.S  1./  •  ^^*  ^^^^^  '^®  receives  for  his  services  or  his  goods  is  a  promise 
to  pay  Which  he  m  turn  can  exchange  for  the   services  or  goods  he  requires.     And 

^San  Francisco  Chronicle,  July  18,  1927. 


\ 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION, 


47 


it  can  be  so  exchanged  indefinitely  because  it  is  secured  by  a  commodity  that  measure- 
ably  holds  its  value.     That  commodity  is  the  gold  reserve  of  the  country. 

"Since  1913  the  gold  reserve  in  the  United  States  has  doubled.  At  the  same  time 
the  world  production  of  gold  has  fallen  from  about  480  million  dollars  in  1915  to 
400  million  in  1926.  Of  the  total  output,  South  Africa  now  produces  about  one-half, 
while  the  United  States  and  Canada  coming  next  produce  about  one-tenth  each.  At 
the  present  rate  of  production  tlie  stock  of  gold  needed  as  a  basis  for  currency  and 
credits  will  eventually  fall  short  of  the  growing  needs  due  to  the  increase  in  popula- 
tion and  the  expansion  of  business.  The  result  of  such  a  shortage  would  be  dear 
money  which  would  mean  cheap  commodities  and  a  tendency  to  lower  the  price  of 
personal  service.  It  was  just  such  a  situation  which  brought  on  the  Bryan  agitation 
for  cheap  money  through  legislation.  That  situation  was  changed  by  the  unexpected 
increase  in  the  gold  output  through  new  gold  finds,  but  more  especially  through 
improvement  in  extracting  gold  from  low-grade  ores. 

"Joseph  Kitchin,  the  British  expert,  estimates  that  the  world's  stock  of  monetary 
gold  needs  to  increase  2.7  per  cent  annually  to  keep  abreast  of  economic  development. 

"On  the  other  hand,  no  one  can  foresee  the  future  as  to  discovery  of  new  gold 
fields  or  development  of  cheaper  methods  of  utilizing  low-grade  ores. 

"F'urthermore,  centralization  of  reserves  has  made  gold  much  more  efficient  as  a 
basis  of  currency,  a  given  amount  now  being  sufficient  to  sustain  nearly  twice  as 
much  circulating  medium  as  was  tlie  case  a  few  years  ago.  It  has  made  it  possible 
to  extend  the  use  of  .solvent  credits  as  the  basis  of  circulation,  and  in  a  certain 
measure  to  use  the  gold  in  this  country  to  .sustain  currency  in  other  countries  to 
which  we  extend  credit. 

"Yet  the  flow  of  gold  into  the  United  States  has  been  so  strong  that  we  now  have 
a  basis  for  our  circulation  more  nearly  100  per  cent  than  the  40  per  cent  legally 
required.  Patently  this  i.s  uimeces.sary,  and  in  itself  suggests  grave  problems.  But 
there  remains  assurance  in  the  fact  that  in  the  event  of  another  period  of  gold 
shortage  this  country  is  in  a  position  relatively  so  strong  to  meet  the  problems." 


View  of  the  Mother  Lode  in  Amador  County;   Bunker  Hill  Mine  in  right  fore- 
ground.    Photo  by  C.  A.  Logan. 

Distribution  of  the  1926  gold  production,  by  counties,  was  as  follows : 

Gold  Production,  by  Counties,  1926. 


County  Value 

Amador     $2,167,275 


Butte 

Calaveras 

Del  Norte 

El   Dorado   _ 

Fresno     

Humboldt 

Imperial 

Inyo 

Kern    

Lassen    

Los  Angeles 

Madera 

Mariposa 

Modoc 

Mono 

Monterey 

Napa 


287,853 

576,889 

1,078 

91,789 

8,595 

1,243 

238 

26,871 

135,508 

67 

94 

1,708 

182,313 

158 

20,204 

706 

7.817 


County  Value 

Nevada $2,318,846 


Orange    

Placer   

Plumas    

Riverside    

Sacramento 

San   Bernardino 

San   Diego 

Santa   Cruz   

Shasta 

Sierra    

Siskiyou    

Stanislaus    

Trhiity    

Tuolumne 

Yuba   


60 

82,921 

247,667 

2,931 

1.304,046 

106,875 

10,543 

143 

132,906 

564,452 

141,240 

127,398 

483,471 

119,873 

2,769,703 


Total  value $11,923,481 


48 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


The  production  of  gold  in  California  in  1926  totaled  576,798.40  fine 
ounces,  worth  $11,923,481,  being  a  decrease  of  55,236.91  fine  ounces 
from  the  1925  yield.  The  'deep'  or  lode  mines  accounted  for  $6,695,078, 
and  the  placers  (mainly  the  dredgers)  produced  $5,228,403.  As  the 
State  Mining  Bureau  has  never  independently  gathered  the  statistics 
of  gold  and  silver  production,  these  figures,  as  in  former  j^ears,  are 
published  by  cooperation  with  and  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  J.  M. 
Hill  of  the  Division  of  Minerals  and  Statistics,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines. 

The  largest  gold  production  for  1925  is  reported  from  Yuba  County, 
with  an  output  of  133,984.39  fine  ounces  ($2,769,703).  Nevada  County, 
with  112,174.19  ounces  ($2,318,846),  was  second;  Amador  County, 
104,841.95  ounces  ($2,167,275),  third;  Sacramento  County,  63,083.24 
ounces  ($1,304,046),  fourth;  followed  by  Calaveras  and  Sierra  counties 
in  fifth  and  sixth  places,  respectively.  It  will  be  noted  that  Yuba 
County  retained  its  position  of  fir.st  [ilacp.  and  that  Nevada  and  Amador 


• 

-i . 

Wx^MStt 

^ 

^K^^^       *-.*^^^^^ 

^^^^--jaX^ 

5^^t^- 

^    ^  .V.     ^ 

1 

jjS^P,^ 

<                                   < 

J 

,-1 

Argonaut  Mine  and  Mill,  near  Jackson,  Amador  County.     Photo  by  C.  A.  Logan. 

exchanged  second  and  third,  compared  with  the  1925  standing.  The 
Yuba  County  production  is  almost  entirely  from  dredges,  while  that 
from  Nevada  and  Amador  is  mainly  lode  gold. 

The  following  is  quoted  from  the  advance  chapter  on  Gold  in  1926, 
by  courtesy  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Hill  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines : 

"The  value  of  the  gold  produced  in  California  in  1926  was  $11,923,481,  a  decrease 
of  $1,141,849  or  9  per  cent  as  compared  with  1925.  Lode  mines  yielded  56  per  cent 
and  placer  mines  44  per  cent  of  the  total  gold  in  1926  as  compared  with  61  per 
cent  and  39  per  cent  in  1925  and  65  per  cent  and  35  per  cent,  respectively,  in  1924. 

"Four  counties  produced  more  than  $1,000,000  in  gold  in  1926  as  compared  with 
5  counties  in  1925,  for  Sierra  County  mines  did  not  reach  the  million  mark  in  1926. 
Yuba,  with  $2,769,703,  produced  largely  by  dredges,  was  first  in  rank;  Nevada,  with 
$2,318,846,  largly  from  gold  lode  mines,  was  second;  Amador,  with  $2,167,275, 
almost  entirely  from  gold  lode  mines,  was  third;  and  Sacramento,  with  $1,304,046. 
entirely  from  placer  mines,  mostly  dredges,  was  fourth.  The  next  largest  output  of 
gold,  $576,889,  came  from  Calaveras  County,  largely  from  gold  lode  mines  and  one 
dredge  operation,  followed  by  Sierra  County  with  $564,452,  practically  all  from  gold 
lode  mines,  and  by  Trinity  County  with  $483,471,  largely  from  dredge  and  hydraulic 
placer  mines,  but  with  more  lode  gold  output  than  in  1925. 

"In  1926  there  were  34  companies  in  the  state  that  produced  more  than  1000 
ounces  of  gold  each  and  these  contributed  90  per  cent  of  the  total  gold  output  of  the 
atate.  This  is  a  decrease  of  7  mines  as  compared  with  the  41  mines  that  produced 
over  1000  ounces  in  1925.  It  is  also  noteworthy  that  the  proportion  of  the  state 
total  produced  at  large  mines  has  decreased  from  90  per  cent  in  1925  to  82  per  cent 
In  1926.     In  other  words,  more  small  mines  are  producing  than  a  year  ago.     Of  these 


,     STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  49 

9  produced  more  than  20,000  ounces  and  3  more  than  50,000  ounces.  Of  these  34 
companies  11  operated  22  gold  dredges,  1  a  drift  placer  mine,  1  a  silver  mine,  2 
operated  copper  mines  and  19  operated  gold  lode  mines.  The  10  largest  gold- 
producing  companies  in  California  in  1926,  in  order  of  output,  were  the  Yuba  Con- 
solidated Gold  Fields  (6  dredges),  Natomas  Co.  of  California  (6  dredges),  Empire 
Mines  Co.  (gold  lode),  Kennedy  Mining  and  Milling  Co.  (gold  lode),  North  Star 
Mines  Co.  (gold  lode).  Central  Eureka  Mining  Co.  (gold  lode).  Argonaut  Mining 
Co.  (gold  lode),  Carson  Hill  Gold  Mines  (Inc.)  (gold  lode).  Sixteen  to  One  Mine 
Co.   (gold  lode),  and  the  Estabrook  Gold  Dredging  Co.    (1  dredge). 

"The  yield  of  gold  from  placer  mines  in  1926  was  valued  at  $5,228,403,  an  increase 
of  3  per  cent  as  compared  with  1925.  There  was  an  increased  gold  yield  of  4  per 
cent  by  dredges  and  67  per  cent  by  drift  mines,  but  decreases  of  61  per  cent  and  6 
per  cent  by  hydraulic  and  surface  mines,  respectively,  as  compared  with  1925.  In 
1926  dredges  yielded  95  per  cent,  drift  mines  2  per  cent,  hydraulic  mines  1  per  cent, 
and  surface  workings  2  per  cent  of  the  gold  from  California  placer  deposits. 
Production  of  gold  by  23  dredges  in  1926  was  $4,950,545  as  compared  with  $4,750,842 
in  1925.  There  was  a  large  increased  output  by  dredges  in  Yuba  and  Trinity 
counties  and  smaller  increases  in  Shasta,  Sacramento,  and  Placer  counties,  but 
declines  in  the  gold  yield  from  dredges  in  Butte,  Calaveras  and  Stanislaus  counties. 
Gold  produced  at  75  drift  mines  in  1926  was  valued  at  $111,236  as  compared  with 
$66,523  in  1925.  Increases  in  gold  from  drift  mines  were  recorded  from  Butte,  Cala- 
veras, El  Dorado,  Placer.  Plumas,  Trinity  and  Yuba  counties,  but  decreases  from 
drift  mines  in  Mariposa,  Nevada,  Sacramento,  Shasta,  and  Tuolumne  counties.  Drift 
mines  in  Amador  and  Fresno  counties  were  productive  in  1926  but  not  in  1925. 
Gold  produced  at  79  hydraulic  mines  in  1926  was  valued  at  $69,139  as  compared 
with  $175,345  in  gold  from  98  mines  in  1925.  The  gold  output  of  hydraulic  mines 
in  1926  decreased  in  Siskiyou  County  by  $31,984,  in  Trinity  by  $16,970,  in  Sierra 
County  by  $15,740,  in  Nevada  County  by  $19,611,  in  Humboldt  County  by  $12,214, 
and  by  less  than  $10,000  in  Amador,  Plumas,  Shasta,  and  Yuba  counties.  Hydraulic 
mines  in  Butte,  Calaveras  and  Del  Norte  counties  reported  production  in  1926  but 
none  in  1925.  Gold  was  produced  by  306  surface  mines  in  1926  as  compared  with 
166  surface  or  sluice  operations  in  1925.  The  total  gold  yield  from  this  class  of 
mines  in  1926  was  $97,483  as  compared  with  $103,434  in  1925.  In  virtually  all  the 
mining  counties  of  the  state  gold  is  recovered  by  itinerant  placer  prospectors  and 
it  is  very  difficult  to  apportion  properly  the  gold  produced  by  them. 

"Placer  mines  in  Yuba  County  increased  their  production  of  gold  by  $201,797,  in 
Trinity  County  by  $44,607,  in  Plumas  County  by  $14,312,  and  in  Calaveras,  Placer 
and  Shasta  counties  by  approximately  $10,000.  Decreases  in  placer  yield  for  1926 
as  compared  with  1925  were  recorded  in  Stanislaus  County  ($44,344),  Siskiyou 
County  ($27,162),  Butte  County  ($19,828),  Nevada  County  ($19,142),  Fresno  Countv 
($16,991),  Sierra  County  ($14,030),  Humboldt  County  ($11,899)  and  Amador  County 
($5,170). 

"The  output  of  gold  from  335  lode  mines  in  California  in  1926  was  valued  at 
$6,695,078,  a  decrease  of  16  per  cent  as  compared  with  1925,  following  a  decrease 
of  7  per  cent  for  the  previous  year.  The  output  of  gold  from  the  lode  mines  of 
both  Amador  and  Nevada  counties  was  more  than  $2,000,000.  Sierra  County,  with 
more  than  $1,000,000  lode  gold  yield  in  1925,  dropped  to  $546,974  in  1926,  ranking 
just  above  Calaveras  County,  whose  lode  mines  produced  $510,208  in  1926.  Pluma.s 
County  lode  mines  produced  more  than  $200,000  in  gold,  and  over  $100,000  each  in 
gold  was  produced  by  lode  mines  in  Kern,  Mariposa,  San  Bernardino,  Siskivou  and 
Tuolumne  counties.  Lode  mines  of  most  counties  were  less  productive  than  in 
1925,  the  greatest  loss  being  $795,223  in  Sierra  County,  followed  by  $165,656  in 
Amador  County,  $111,982  in  Shasta  County,  $85,559  in  Calaveras  County,  $51,742  in 
San  Bernardino  County,  $49,344  in  Placer  County,  $39,560  in  Tuolumne  County. 
$16,185  in  Plumas  County,  $11,718  in  Siskiyou  Countv  and  $6,721  in  Mariposa 
County.  Nevada  County  lode  mines  in  1926  produced  $32,381  more  than  in  1925 
and  there  was  an  increased  production  of  $965  in  gold  from  Kern  County  mines. 

"Gold  ore  and  tailings  treated  in  1926  yielded  $6,334,908  or  95  per  cent,  copper  ore 
and  tailings  yielded  $232,210  or  3  per  cent,  silver  ore  and  tailings  yielded  $84,126 
or  1  per  cent,  and  lead  and  zinc  ores  1  per  cent  of  the  total  gold  from  lode  mines. 
Amalgamation  mills  in  1926  recovered  approximately  75  per  cent,  cvanidation  plants 
17  per  cent,  and  smelters  8  per  cent  of  the  lode  gold  output  of  California  as  compared 
with  72  per  cent,  16  per  cent  and  12  per  cent,  respectively,  in  1925.  It  is  estimated 
that  approximately  6  per  cent  of  the  gold  output  from  lode  mines  was  stolen  and 
sold  by  'high  graders'  in  1926." 

Total  Gold  Production  of  California. 

The  presence  of  gold  in  stream  gravels  near  Los  Angeles  was  known 
and  worked  in  a  small  way  by  the  Indians,  at  least  as  early  as  1841,^ 
and  possibly  1820.-  On  March  2,  1844,  Don  Manuel  Castanares,  deputy 
for  California  to  the  Congress  of  Mexico,  reported^  to  his  government 
that  placers  near  Los  Angeles  had  produced  up  to  December,  1843,  a 
total  of  2000  ounces  of  gold  dust,  most  of  which  had  been  sent  to  the 
United  States  mint  at  Philadelphia. 

As  the  padres  and  the  rancheros  discouraged  the  quest  of  gold  this 
early,  small  production  caused  no  particular  excitement.  It  was  not 
until  James  W.  Marshall's  finding  of  gold  nuggets  in  the  tail-race  of 
Sutter's  saw  mill  on  the  American  River,  January  24, 1848,  was  heralded 

^Hittell,  T.  H.,  History  of  California:  Vol.  II,  p.  312,  1885. 
=  Bancroft,  H.  H.,  History  of  California:  Vol.  II,  p.  417,  1886. 
» Mercantile  Trust  Review  of  the  Pacific,  Vol.  XIV,  No.  2,  p.  43,  Feb.  15,  1925. 
4 — 55185 


50 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


abroad  that  the  great  rush  began,  and  California  became  a  common- 
wealth of  first  rank  almost  oA'er  night.  There  are,  however,  no  authentic 
data  on  gold  production  prior  to  1848,  other  than  occasional,  scattered 
references  such  as  above  quoted. 

The  following  table  was  originally  compiled  by  Cha.s.  G.  Yale,  of  the 
Division  of  Mineral  Resources,  II.  S.  Geological  Survey,  but  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  statistician  of  the  California  State  Mining  Bureau  and  the 
U.  S.  Mint  at  San  Francisco.  The  authorities  chosen  for  certain  periods 
were :  J.  D.  Whitney,  state  geologist  of  California ;  John  Arthur 
Phillips,  author  of  "Mining  and  Metallurgy  of  Gold  and  Silver" 
(1867);  U.  S.  Mining  Commissioner-  K.  W.  Raymond;  U.  S.  Mining 
Commissioner  J.  Ross  Browne ;  Wm.  P.  Blake,  Commissioner  from  Cali- 
fornia to  the  Paris  Exposition,  where  he  made  a  report  on  "Precious 
Metals"  (1867)  ;  John  J.  Valentine,  author  for  many  years  of  the 
annual  report  on  precious  metals  published  by  Wells,  Fargo  &  Com- 
pany's Express;  and  Louis  A.  Garnett,  in  the  early  days  manager  of 
the  San  Francisco  refinery,  where  records  of  gold  receipts  and  ship- 
ments were  kept.  Mr.  Yale  obtained  other  data  from  the  reports  of 
the  director  of  the  U.  S.  Mint  and  the  director  of  the  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey.  The  authorities  referred  to,  who  were  alive  at  the  time  of  the 
original  compilation  of  this  table  in  1894,  were  all  consulted  in  person 
or  by  letter  by  Mr.  Yale  with  reference  to  the  correctness  of  their 
published  data,  and  the  final  table  quoted  was  then  made  up. 

The  figures  for  1903-1923  (inclusive),  are  those  prepared  by  the 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey ;  and  since  by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines : 


Year 

Value 

Year 

Value 

1848 

§245,301 
10,151,360 
41,273,106 
75,938,232 
81,194,700 
67,613,487 
69,433,931 
55,485,395 
57,509,411 
43,028,172 
46,591.140 
45,840,599 
44,095,163 
41,884,995 
38,854,008 
23,501,736 
24,071,423 
17,930,858 
17,123,867 
18.205,452 
17,555,807 
18,229,044 
17,458,133 
17,477,885 
15,482,194 
15,019,210 
17,204,836 
16,876,009 
15,610,723 
16,501,268 
18,839.141 
19,626,054 
20,030,701 
19,223,155 
17,146,416 
24,316,873 
13,600,000 
12,661,044 
14,716,506 
13,588,614 
12,750,000 

1889    

$11,212,913 

1849  . 

1890  -- 

12,309,793 

1850 

1891 

12,728,869 

1851 

1892.- -.. 

12,571,900 

1852 

1893 

12  538  780 

1853 

1894 .- 

13,863,282 

1854 

1895 

15,334,317 

1855... 

1896 

17,181,562 

1850--.. .   .. 

1897 

15,871,401 

1857 

1898 

15,906,478 

1858.... 

1899 

15,330,031 

1859 

1900        -   

15,863,355 

1800- 

1901-.. 

10,989,044 

1861 

1902 

16,910,320 

1862 

1903  

16,300,653 

1863... 

1904 

18,033,070 

1864 

1905 

18,898,545 

1805 

1900                      .  . 

18,732,452 

1866 

1907 

16,727,928 

1867 

1908  

18,761,559 

1868  . 

1909 

'   20,237,870 

1869 

1910      

19,715,440 

1870 

1911               

19,738,908 

1871 

1912         

19,713,478 

1872 

1913 

20,406,958 

1873..- 

1914 

20,653,496 

1874 

1915.... 

22,442,296 

1875.- 

1916 

21,410,741 

1876 

1917  

20,087,504 

1877  . 

1918 

16,528,953 

1878 

1919 

16,095,955 

1879 

1920             

14,311,043 

1880 

1921     

15.704,822 

1881 

1922 

14,670,346 

1882..  .  -    .            

1923 

13,379,013 

1883 

1924 ... 

13,150,175 

1884.. 

1925 

13,065,330 

1885 

1926 

11,923,481 

1886 .  ... 

Total  value 

1887 

$1,801,221,996 

1888 -  . 

t 

STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


51 


IRIDIUM    (see   under   Platinum). 

IRON    ORE. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  II,  IV,  V,  X,  XII-XV 
(inc.),  XVII,  XVIII,  XXI,  XXII.  Bulletins  38,  67,  91.  Am. 
Inst.  Min.  Eng.,  Trans.  LIII.  Min.  &  Sci.  Press,  Vol.  115,  pp. 
112,  117-122;  Vol.  123,  pp.  94-96,  113-114. 

A  small  tonnage  of  iron  ore  was  produced  in  California  during  the 
year  1926,  and  utilized  for  foundiy  flux  and  in  steel  refining  at  open- 
hearth  plants.  As  there  was  only  a  single  operator,  the  figures  are 
concealed  under  the  'unapportioned'  total.  There  is  also  some  tonnage 
utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  paint  pigment,  and  which  is  credited  to 
'  mineral  paint '  in  these  statistical  reports. 

There  are  considerable  deposits  of  iron  ore  known  in  California, 
notably  in  Shasta,  Madera,  Placer,  Riverside  and  San  Bernardino 
counties,  but  production  has  so  far  been  limited  for  lack  of  an  economic 
supply  of  coking  coal.  Some  pig-iron  has  been  made,  utilizing  charcoal 
for  fuel,  both  in  blast  furnaces  and  by  electrical  reduction ;  also,  ferro- 
chrome,  ferromanganese,  and  ferrosilicon  have  been  made  in  California. 

Total    Iron  Ore   Production  of  California. 

Total  iron  ore  production  in  California,  with  annual  amounts  and 
values,  is  as  follows : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1881* 

9,273 

2,073 

11,191 

4,532 

S79,452 
17,766 

106,540 
40,983 

1912 

2,508 
2,343 
1,436 
724 
3,000 
2,874 
3,108 
2,300 
5,975 
1,970 
3,588 
3,102 

785 

a 

12,508 

1882 

1913   

4,485 

1883 

1914 

5,128 

1884 

1915          

2,584 

1885 

1916 

6.000 

1886 

3,676 

19,250 

1917               

11,496 

1887 

1918        

15,947 

1893 

250 
200 

2,000 
1,500 

1919 

13,796 

1894 

1920 

40,889 

1895 

1921 

12,030 

1907 

400 

400 

1922 

18,868 

1908 

1923         

18,665 

1909 

108 
579 
558 

174 
900 
558 

19241 

1925/'>  -    

1910 

4,710 

1911 

1926 

a 

Totals 

66,533 

S526,629 

*Productions  for  the  year  1881-1886  (inc.)  were  reported  as  "tons  of  pisr  iron"  (U.  S.  G.  S.,  Min.  Res.  1885),  and  for 
the  table  herewith  are  calculated  to  "tons  of  ore"  on  the  bnsis  of  47.6%  Fe  as  shown  by  an  average  of  analyses  of  the 
ores  (State  Mineralogist  Report  IV,  p.  242).  This  early  production  of  pig  iron  was  from  the  blast  furnaces  then  in  opera- 
tion at  Hotaling  in  Placer  County.  Charcoal  was  used  in  lieu  of  coke.  Though  producing  a  superior  grade  of  metal, 
they  were  obliged  finally  to  close  down,  as  they  could  not  compete  with  the  cheaper  Enghsh  and  eastern  United  States 
iron  brought  in  by  sea  to  San  Francisco. 

*  .4innual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 


LEAD. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  VIII-XV    (inc.), 
XVII-XXII  (inc.). 

Production  of  lead  in  California  in  1926  increased  slightly  both  in 
quantity  and  value  over  the  preceding  year.  As  in  the  past,  the  prin- 
cipal output  was  from  lead-silver  ores  in  Inyo  County.  The  total 
recoverable  lead  in  ores  shipped  from  Californian  mines  in  1926 
amounted  to  8,067,873  pounds,  valued  at  $645,429,  as  against  7,352,422 


52 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


pounds  and  $639,661  in  1925.     The  average  price  of  lead  in  1926  was 
8.0^  per  pound  compared  to  8.7^  in  1925  and  8.0f^  in  1924. 
The  1926  production  was  distributed  by  counties  as  follows : 

Lead   Production,   by   Counties,   1926. 

County                                                                                                                    Pounds  Value 

Amador    1,267  $101 

Inyo    G, 541, 741  523,339 

Los  Angeles   1,104,507  88,361 

Mono     20,906  1,672 

Nevada     4,301  344 

Orange 5,176  414 

Riverside   173,207  13,857 

San  Bernardino : 195,536  15,643 

Shasta    15,584  1,247 

Calaveras,  Imperial,  Plumas,  San  Diego,  Siskiyou,  Tuolumne*           5,648  451 

Totals     8,067,873  $645,429 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  .single  operator  in  each. 


II 

10 
9 

e 

7 

5 
4 


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Prices  of 

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COMMON  LEAD 

jsilveriied  and  Soft  Misso 

at  New  York  City, 

Cents  per  Pound 

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uri. 

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o      c      J       5       3  «)  o 

z     ->     Z     Z     o  to  Z 

1927 


From  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,   Aug.    13,    1927. 


^  "Refined  primary  lead  produced  in  the  United  States  in  1926,  from  domestic  ore, 
amounted  to  680,685  short  tons,  valued  at  $108,910,000,  as  shown  Ijy  reports  made 
by  producers  to  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Mines,  Department  of  Commerce.  The 
production  was  4  per  cent  greater  than  in  1925,  the  value  was  4  per  cent  less, 
due  to  a  decrease  in  the  average  selling  value  of  lead  from  8.7  cents  a  pound  in 
1925  to  8.0  cents  in  1926. 

"Nearly  one-third  of  the  lead  produced  from  domestic  ore  was  derived  from 
Missouri ;  a  little  more  than  one-fifth  was  derived  from  Utah,  and  a  little  less  than 
one-fifth  was  derived  from  Idaho.  The  remainder  was  derived  from  a  number  of 
states,  the  most  important  being  Oklahoma,  Colorado,  Montana,  and  Kansas. 

"Refined  lead  produced  from  foreign  ore,  principaly  from  Mexico,  amounted  to 
118,256  short  tons — an  increase  of  5i  per  cent  over  the  production  of  1925. 

"The  apparent  consumption  of  refined  primary  lead  in  the  United  States  in  1926 
amounted  to  about  736,000  short  tons,  as  compared  with  a  consumption  of  about 
656,000  tons  in  1925." 


lU.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  Press  Bulletin,  April  22,  1927. 


i 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


53 


Lead  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Statistics  on  lead  production  in  California  were  first  compiled  by 
this  Bureau  in  1887.  Amount  and  value  of  the  output,  annually,  with 
total  figures,  to  date,  are  given  in  the  following  table : 


Year 

Pounds 

Value 

Year 

Pounds 

Value 

1887 

1888 

1,160,000 

900,000 

940,000 

800,000 

1,140,000 

1,360,000 

666,000 

950,000 

1,592,400 

1,293,500 

596,000 

655,000 

721,000 

1,040,000 

720,500 

349,440 

110,000 

124,000 

533,680 

338,718 

328,681 

152,200 
38.250 
35,720 
36,000 
49,020 
54,400 
24,975 
28,500 
49,364 
38,805 
20.264 
23,907 
30,642 
41,600 
28,820 
12,230 
3,960 
5,270 
25,083 
19,307 
16,690 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 ..- 

1,124,483 
2,685,477 
3,016,902 
1,403,839 
1,370,067 
3,640,951 
4,697,400 
4,796,299 
12,392,031 
21,651,352 
13,464,869 
4,139,562 
4,903,738 
1,149,051 
6,511,280 
9,934,522 
4,984,387 
7,352,422 
8,067,873 

S46,663 
144,897 

1889  

134,082 

1890 

63,173 

1891   .  - 

61,653 

1892 

160,202 

1893 

1914_ 

1915 

1916 

1917  

183,198 

1894   . 

225,426 

1895 

1896 

855,049 
1,862,016 

1897 

1918  

956,006 

1898 

1919         

219,397 

1899 

1900 

1920 

1921 

1922   _  -  

392,300 
51,707 

1901   . 

358,120 

1902 

1923_ 

1924 

1925 

1926 

695,416 

1903. 

1904    

398,751 
639,661 

1905 

645,429 

IQOR 

Totals 

1907 

133,605,424 

$8,728,153 

MANGANESE. 

BiUiography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII-XV  (inc.),  XVIII, 
XXII.  Bulletins  38,  67,  76,  91.  U.  S.  G.  S.,  Bull.  427.  Eng.  & 
Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  117,  p.  545. 

Manganese  ore  shipments  in  California  in  1926  amounted  to  a  total 
of  235  tons  of  all  grades  valued  at  $4,700,  being  a  decrease  both  in 
quantity  and  value  from  the  1925  yield,  which  totaled  832  tons  and 
$19,450  value.  These  ores  showed  analyses  of  from  45%  to  55%  Mn, 
and  were  utilized  by  Pacific  Coast  plants  for  ferromanganese. 

Importations  of  foreign  manganese  ores  in  1926,  mainly  from  Brazil, 
amounted  to  a  total  of  368,341  long  tons  valued  at  $11,075,771,  com- 
pared with  299,950  tons  and  $8,303,855  in  1925.  The  Tariff  Act  of 
1922  provides  for  an  import  duty  of  1<^  per  pound  on  the  metallic 
manganese  contained,  for  "manganese  ore  or  concentrates  containing 
in  excess  of  30  per  centum  of  metallic  manganese."  The  bulk  of  such 
ore  is  consumed  in  the  large  steel-producing  centers  of  the  eastern 
United  States. 

Much  valuable  research  work  has  been  done  in  recent  years,  particu- 
larly by  companies  operating  in  Montana  and  Virginia,  in  the  benefi- 
ciation  of  manganese  ores.  The  success  of  their  processes  appears 
assured.  In  reply  to  the  recent  suggestion  of  certain  steel  interests  to 
have  the  manganese  import  duty  removed,  the  manganese  operators 
have  organized  the  American  Manganese  Producers'  Association,  which 
will  work  for  retention  of  the  tariff.  Such  retention  will  enable  the 
domestic  industry  to  grow  and  to  further  develop  ore-dressing  methods 
that  will  make  available  large  tonnages  of  low-grade  material  not  now 
marketable. 


54 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Manganese  Ore  Production  in  California,  by  Years. 

Production  of  manganese  ore  in  California  began  at  the  Ladd  Mine, 
San  Joaquin  County,  in  the  Tesla  District  in  1867.  When  shipments 
of  this  ore  to  England  ceased  late  in  1874,  upwards  of  5000  tons  had 
been  produced  by  that  property.  For  some  years  following  that,  the 
output  was  small.  The  tabulation  herewith  shows  California's  output 
of  manganese  ore,  annually,  since  1887,  when  the  compilation  of  such 
figures  was  begun  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887 

1,000 

1,500 

53 

386 

705 

300 

270 

523 

880 

518 

504 

440 

295 

131 

425 

870 

1 

60 

S9,000 

13,500 

901 

3,176 

3,830 

3,000 

4,050 

5,512 

8.200 

3,415 

4,080 

2,102 

3,165 

1,310 

4,405 

7,140 

25 

900 

1908   

321 
3 

265 

2 

22 

$5,785 
75 

1888 

1909 

1889...     

1910 

4,235 

1890 

1911.... 

1912 

1913            . 

'40 

1891 

400 

1892 

1893 

1914  

150 

4,013 

13,404 

15,515 

26,075 

11,569 

2,892 

1,005 

540 

690 

1,115 

832 

235 

1,500 

1894           

1915 

1916          .    .  . 

49,098 

1895 

274,601 

1896 

1917 

1918 

1919       

396,659 

1897       -. 

979,235 

1898 

461,422 

1899 

1920 

1921 

1922  - 

62,323 

1900     .  

12,210 

1901 

7,650 

1902             

1923 

1924 

1925 

10,620 

1903     ..  

25,785 

1904 

19,450 

1905 

1926 

Totals 

4,700 

lonfi 

1 
1 

30 
25 

1907  -- -.. 

87,511 

$2,383,554 

MOLYBDENUM. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XIV,  XVII.  Bulletins 
67,  91.  U.  S.  Bur.  of  Min.,  Bulletin  111.  Proc.  Colo.  Sci.  Soc, 
Vol.  XI. 

Molybdenum  is  used  as  an  alloy  constituent  in  the  steel  industry, 
and  in  certain  forms  of  electrical  apparatus.  Included  in  the  latter 
is  its  successful  substitution  for  platinum  and  platinum-iridium  in 
electric  contact-making  and  -breaking  devices.  In  alloys  it  is  used 
similarly  to  and  in  conjunction  with  chromium,  cobalt,  iron,  manganese, 
nickel,  tungsten,  and  vanadium.  The  oxides  and  the  ammonium  salt 
have  important  chemical  uses. 

The  two  principal  molybdenum  minerals  are :  the  sulphide,  molyb- 
denite ;  and  Avulfenite,  lead  molybdate ;  the  former  furnishing  prac- 
tically the  entire  commercial  output.  Molybdenite  is  found  in  or  asso- 
ciated with  acidic  igneous  rocks,  such  as  granite  and  pegmatite.  The 
chief  commercial  sources  have  been  New  South  Wales,  Queensland  and 
Norway,  with  some  also  from  Canada ;  but  the  United  States  is  now  able 
to  supply  its  own  requirements. 

The  growing  consumption  of  molybdenum  by  alloy-steel  makers  in 
the  United  States  has  been  stimulated  by  the  fact  that  molybdenum 
alone  of  the  steel-alloying  metals  can  be  produced  commercially  in  the 
United  States  to  an  extent  which  avoids  all  necessity  for  importation. , 
Another  fact  has  been  the  marked  adaptability  of  moh^bdenum  steels ' 
to  large-scale  production  of  automobile  and  other  parts. 

The  most  important  development  of  1924-1925  was  the  elimination 
of  f erromolybdenum  from  the  market  due  to  the  substitution  of  calcium ; 


STATISTICS    OP    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  55 

molybdate  as  the  furnace  addition  by  the  entire  alloy-steel  industry. 
Calcium  molybdate  is  stated  to  be  not  only  easier  and  less  costly  to 
prepare,  but  it  introduces  the  molybdenum  into  the  steel  bath  in  a 
much  purer  form,  the  resulting  steel  being  superior  to  that  made  with 
ferromolybdenum. 

Deposits  of  disseminated  molybdenite  are  known  in  several  localities 
in  California,  and  in  at  least  two  places  it  occurs  in  small  masses 
associated  with  copper  sulphides.  The  only  recorded  commercial  ship- 
ments of  molybdenum  ore  in  California  were  during  the  war,  1916- 
1918.  Some  development  work  has  been  recently  done  on  a  high-grade 
deposit  at  the  head  of  the  Kaweah  River,  Tulare  County. 

Present  quotations  for  molybdenum  ore  are  50^  per  pound  for  85% 
MoSo  concentrates. 

Molybdenum  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

California's  production  of  molybdenum  ore  by  years  is  summarized 
in  the  following  tabulation  : 

Year  Tons  Vahie 

1916     8  $9,945 

1917     243  9,014 

1918     *  300 


Totals     251  $19,259 

*  300  pounds  of  90%  MoS.,,  concentrate. 

NICKEL. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XIV,  XVII,  U.  S.  G.  S., 
Bulletin  640-D.    U.  S.  Bureau  of  Standards,  Circular  100. 

Nickel  occurs  in  the  Friday  Copper  Mine  in  the  Julian  District,  San 
Diego  County.  The  ore  is  a  nickel-bearing  pyrrhotite,  with  some  asso- 
ciated chalcopyrite.  Some  ore  has  been  mined  in  the  course  of  develop- 
ment work,  but  not  treated  nor  disposed  of,  as  they  were  unable  to  get 
any  smelter  to  handle  it  for  them.  Nickel  ore  has  also  been  reported 
from  other  localities  in  California,  but  not  yet  confirmed. 

Present  quotations  for  nickel  are  around  35^-39f^  per  pound  for  the 
refined  metal. 

OSMIUM    (see  under  Platinum). 

PALLADIUM   (see  under  Platinum). 

PLATINUM. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  VIII,  IX,  XII- 
XVIII.  Bulletins  38,  45,  67,  85,  91,  92.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Bulle- 
tins 193,  285.    Trans.  Am.  Inst.  Min.  Eng.,  Vol.  47,  pp.  217-218. 

In  California  platinum  is  obtained  as  a  by-product  from  placer  opera- 
tions for  gold.  The  major  portion  of  it  comes  from  the  dredges  working 
in  Butte,  Sacramento,  Stanislaus,  and  Yuba  counties,  with  smaller 
amounts  from  the  hydraulic  and  surface-sluicing  mines  of  Del  Norte, 
Humboldt,  Shasta,  Siskiyou,  and  Trinity. 

The  production  of  platinum-group  metals  in  California  for  the  year 
1926  totaled  367  ounces,  crude,  containing  322  fine  ounces,  valued  at 
$32,005.     Of  this  amount,  a  total  of  260  ounces,  crude,  or  71%,  came 


56  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OP    CALIFORNIA. 

from  the  gold  dredges.  This  compares  with  the  292  fine  ounces  worth 
$39,937  sold  in  1925. 

The  above-noted  total  of  322  fine  ounces  includes  110  fine  ounces  of 
iridium,  osmiridium,  ruthenium,  and  palladium.  Most  of  the  platinum 
refiners  pay  for  the  osmiridium  on  the  basis  of  its  iridium  content. 
Crude  'platinum'  is  really  a  mixture  of  the  metals  of  that  group,  and 
carries  varying  percentages  of  platinum,  iridium,  osmiridium  or  iridos- 
mine,  with  occasionally  some  ruthenium  and  palladium.  In  addition 
to  the  above-noted  production,  there  is  usually  some  platinum  recovered 
as  a  by-product  in  the  gold  refinery  of  the  mint,  but  which  can  not  be 
assigned  to  the  territory  of  its  origin  for  lack  of  knowing  to  which  lots 
of  gold  it  belongs.  Some  platinum  and  palladium  are  also  recovered 
in  the  electrolytic  refining  of  blister  copper. 

For  1926,  the  distribution  by  counties  of  California's  platinum  yield 
was  as  follows : 

Platinum   Production,  by  Counties,  1926. 
County  Fine  ounces        Value 

Butte     "10  $954 

Del  Norte 10  1,132 

Shasta 28  3,034 

Siskiyou    16  1,780 

Trinity    28  2,832 

Humboldt,   Plumas,  Sacramento,''  Stanislaus,  Yuba  <"  * 230  22,273 

Totals     322  $32,005 

»  Includes  ruthenium. 

•>  Includes  ruthenium  and  palladium. 

•^  Includes  palladium. 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

Uses,  Markets,  and  Consumption. 

Besides  its  well-known  uses  in  jewelry,  dentistry  and  for  chemical- 
ware,  an  important  industrial  development  of  recent  years  employs 
platinum  as  a  catalyzer  in  the  'contact  process'  of  manufacturing  con- 
centrated sulphuric  acid.  It  is  also  necessary  for  certain  delicate  parts 
of  the  ignition  systems  in  automobiles,  motor  boats  and  aeroplanes. 
Experiments  have  been  made  to  find  alloys  which  can  replace  platinum 
for  dishes  and  crucibles  in  analytical  work,  but  so  far  with  only  slight 
success. 

According  to  Hill,^  the  total  consumption  of  platinum  metals  in  the 
United  States  in  1926  was  171,616  troy  ounces,  a  slight  decrease  from 
that  consumed  in  1925,  distributed  as  follows : 

"Platinum  metals  consumed  in  the  United  States  as  reported  by  refiners,  1925  and 

1926,   

Industry 

1925  Platinum 

Chemical    12,558 

Electrical     18,845 

Dental    9,293 

Jewelry    93,293 

Miscellaneous 3,356 


Totals 137,345 

1926 

Chemical    10,253 

Electrical     16,765 

Dental    8,542 

Jewelry    85,908 

Miscellaneous 17,381 


by   indL 

istries,   in  troy 

ounces. 

Per 

centagc 

Iridium 

Palladium 

Others 

Total 

of  total 

71 

383 

685 

13,697 

8 

1,579 

3,157 

111 

23,692 

13 

95 

14,952 

24,340 

14 

2,840 

10,950 

2,280 

109,363 

62 

220 

520 

1,414 
4,490 

5,510 
176,602 

3 

4,805 

29,962 

100 

145 

213 

228 

10,839 

6 

1,608 

3,508 

185 

22,066 

13 

131 

11,063 

19,736 

11 

2,949 

7,770 

454 

97,081 

57 

581 

2,181 

1,751 

21,894 

13 

Totals 138,849  5,414  24,735  2,618  171,616  100 


'Hill,  J.  M.,  platinum  and  allied  metals  in  1926  U.   S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Press  Bull.. 
May  4,  1927. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


57 


"Stocks. 

"At  the  end  of  1926  stocks  of  platinum  metals  in  the  hands  of  refiners  was  105,571 
ounces,  an  increase  of  33  per  cent  as  compared  with  stocks  at  the  end  of  1925,  and 
larger  than  stocks  at  any  time  since  the  close  of  the  World  War. 

"Stocks  of  platinum  meta's  in  the  hands  of  refiners  in  the  United  States,  December 
31,  1918-1926  in  troy  ounces: 

Yeai'                                                 Platinum  Iridium        Palladium  Others  Total 

1918  51,504  3,224  10,086                64,814 

1919  29,228  3,359  10,235  610  43,432 

1920  46,747  4,196  16,565  216  67,724 

1921  38,514  4,991  21,042  3,113  67,660 

1922  41,900  7,559  24,975  1,583  76,017 

1923  36,554  5,208  26,266  2,697  70,725 

1924  40,464  3,622  27,400  3,053  74,539 

1925  44,024  3,720  26,740  4,609  79,093 

1926  64,203  3,933  31,950  5,485  105,571 

Prices. 

Prices  of  all  of  the  metals  of  the  platinum  group  fluctuated  consid- 
erably during  1926,  dropping  until  June,  then  recovering  for  a  time 
but  dropping  again  after  early  October  and  ending  the  year  at  $112 
for  platinum,  $63  for  palladium,  $120-$125  for  iridium.  The  greatest 
break  was  in  the  iridium  market,  having  started  the  year  at  $380-$39O 
per  ounce.  The  arrival  of  large  supplies  from  Australia  and  South 
Africa  broke  the  price  to  $200-$215  by  May  first,  following  which  it 
continued  to  decline.  The  average  for  the  year  for  platinum  was  $111 
an  ounce,  for  palladium  $70  and  for  iridium  $169. 

Platinum   Production  of  California,  by  Years. 
The  annual  production  and  values  since  1887,  have  been  as  follows : 


Year 

Ounces 

Value 

Year 

Ounces 

Value 

1887 

100 

500 

500 

600 

100 

80 

75 

100 

150 

162 

150 

300 

300 

400 

250 

39 

70 

123 

200 

91 

300 

S400 

2,000 

2,000 

2,500 

500 

440 

517 

600 

900 

944 

900 

1,800 

1,800 

2,500 

3,200 

468 

1,052 

1,849 

3.320 

1,647 

fi,255 

1908- 

1909 

1910 - 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914  .            

706 
416 
337 
511 
603 
368 
463 
667 
886 
610 
571 
•418 
477 
613 
795 
602 
273 
292 
322 

113,414 

1888 

10,400 

1889 

8,386 

1890.-.- 

14,873 

1891 

1892 

1893 

19,731 
17,738 
14,816 

1894  -  . 

1915 

1916 

1917 

21,149 

1895 

42,642 

1896 

43,719 

1897 

1918  

42,788 

1898... 

1919  

60,611 

1899 

1920     ...    - 

68,977 

1900 

1921 

1922 

■  58,754 

1901 

90,288 

1902 

1923 

78,546 

1903 

1924   

36,452 

1904      .      ... 

1925 

39,937 

1905 - 

1926 -.. 

32,005 

1906 

Totals 

1907 

14,514 

$750,818 

QUICKSILVER. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  V,  XII-XV,  XVII- 
XXII  (inc.).  Bulletins  27,  78,  91.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Mono- 
graph XIII.  U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Tech.  Papers  96,  227 ;  Bulle- 
tin 222. 

Quicksilver  was  produced  in  California  in  six  counties  during  1926 
to  the  amount  of  5892  flasks  (of  75  pounds,  avoirdupois)  valued  at 
$516,382,  being  a  decrease  both  in  quantity  and  value  compared  with 
the  1925  output  of  7683  flasks  worth  $621,831.     The  average  price 


58  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

received  during  1926,  according  to  the  producers'  reports  to  the  State 
Mining  Bureau,  was  $87.64  per  flask,  as  against  $80.81  in  1925  and  the 
record  average  of  $114.03  for  the  year  1918. 

The  average  of  San  Francisco  quotations  for  1926  was  $91.58  per 
flask,  the  price  ranging  without  sharp  fluctuations  between  $88.67  and 
$90.00  until  the  end  of  September.  Beginning  with  October  the  quo- 
tations advanced  sharply  to  $99.00  in  the  third  week  of  November,  and 
closing  the  year  at  that  figure.  The  advance  has  continued  into  1927, 
and  present  quotations  are  around  $120  per  flask,  in  San  Francisco. 
The  average  of  quotations  for  1926  in  New  York  was  $91.90  per  flask. 

The  above-noted  yield  of  5,892  flasks  in  1926  was  won  from  a  total  of 
43,552  tons  of  ore,  being  an  average  content  of  10.14  pounds  per  ton, 
or  0.507%  mercury. 

The  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  reports  the  total  production  of  the  United 
States  for  1926  at  7,645  flasks  valued  at  $702,598  (using  $91.90  as  the 
average  of  New  York  quotations).  Outside  of  California,  the  principal 
yield  was  from  Texas,  with  a  few  flasks  from  Nevada,  Arizona,  and 
Idaho.    California's  contribution  was  77%  of  the  total. 

The  imports  of  quicksilver  in  1926  amouuted  to  11,768  flasks  from 
Italy  and  14,117  flasks  from  Spain,  and  from  all  other  countries  2,729 
flasks,  making  a  total  of  28,614  flasks  compared  with  22,781  flasks  in 
1925.    The  exports  were  116  flasks. 

II  ^ 

Uses.  tt 

The  most  important  uses  of  quicksilver  are  the  recovery  of  gold  and 
silver  by  amalgamation,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  fulminate  for  explo- 
sive caps,  of  drugs,  of  electric  appliances,  and  of  scientific  apparatus. 
By  far  the  greatest  consumption  is  in  the  manufacture  of  fulminate 
and  drugs.  Radio  tubes  and  electrical  appliances  are  taking  increasing 
amounts. 

Total  Quicksilver  Production  of  California. 

Total  amount  and  value  of  the  quicksilver  production  of  California, 
as  given  in  available  records,  are  shown  in  the  following  tabulation. 
Though  the  New  Almadeu  Mine  in  Santa  Clara  County  was  first  worked 
in  1824,  and  has  been  in  practically  continuous  operation  since  1846 
(the  yield  being  small  the  first  two  years),  there  are  no  available  data 
on  the  output  earlier  than  1850.  Previous  to  June,  1904,  a  'flask'  oi 
quicksilver  contained  76^  pounds,  but  since  that  date  75  pounds.  In 
compiling  this  table  the  following  sources  of  information  were  used : 
for  1850-1883,  table  by  J.  B.  Randol,  in  Report  of  State  Mineralogist, 
IV,  p.  336;  1883-1893,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  reports;  1894  to  date, 
statistical  bulletins  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau;  also  State  Mining 
Bureau,  Bulletin  27,  ''Quicksilver  Resources  of  California,"  1908,  p.  10 : 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


59 


Year 

Flasks 

Value 

Average 

price  per 

flask 

Year 

Flasks 

Value 

Average 

price  per 

flask 

1850 

7,723 
27,779 
20,000 
22,284 
39,004 
33,000 
30,000 
28,204 
31,000 
13,000 
10,000 
35,000 
42,000 
40,531 
47,489 
53,000 
46,550 
47,000 
47,728 
33,811 
30,077 
31,686 
31,621 
27,642 
27,756 
50,250 
75,074 
79,396 
63,880 
73,684 
59,926 
60,851 
52.732 
46,725 
31,913 
32,073 
29,981 
33,760 
33,250 
26,464 

S768,052 
1,859.248 
1,166,600 
1,235.648 
1,663,722 
1,767,150 
1,549,500 
1,374,381 
1,482,730 
820,690 
535,500 
1,471,750 
1,526,700 
1,705,544 
2,179,745 
2,432,700 
2,473,202 
2,157,300 
2,190,715 
1,551,925 
1.725,818 
1,999,387 
2,084,773 
2.220,482 
2,919,376 
4,228,538 
3,303,256 
2,961,471 
2,101,652 
2,194,674 
1.857,706 
1,815.185 
1.488,624 
1,343,344 
973,347 
986,245 
1,064,326 
1,430,749 
1,413,125 
1,190,880 

$99  45 
66  93 
58  33 
55  45 
55  45 
53  55 
51  65 
48  73 
47  83 
63  13 
53  55 
42  05 

36  35 
42  08 
45  90 
45  90 
53  13 
45  90 
45  90 
45  90 
57  38 
63  10 
65  93 
80  33 

105  18 
84  15 

44  00 

37  30 
32  90 
29  85 
31  00 

29  83 
28  23 
28  75 

30  50 
30  75 
35  50 
42  38 
42  50 

45  00 

1890 

2?,926 
22,904 
27,993 
30,164 
30,416 
36,104 
30,765 
26,691 
31,092 
29,454 
26,317 
26.720 
29,552 
32,094 
*28,876 
24,655 
19,516 
17,379 
1?,039 
16,217 
17,665 
19,109 
20,600 
15,661 
11.373 
14,199 
21,427 
24.382 
22,621 
15,200 
10,278 
3,157 
3,466 
5,458 
7,948 
7,683 
5,892 

$1,203,615 

1.036,406 

1,139,595 

1,108,527 

934,000 

1,337,131 

1,075,449 

993,445 

1,188,626 

1,405,045 

1,182,786 

1,285,014 

1,276,524 

1.335,954 

1,086,323 

886,081 

712,334 

663,178 

763,520 

773,788 

799,002 

879,205 

866,024 

630,042 

557,846 

1,157,449 

2,003,425 

2,396,466 

2,579,472 

1.353,381 

775.527 

140,666 

191,851 

332.851 

543,080 

621,831 

516,382 

S52  50 

1851 

1891 

1892.. 

1893 

1894 __ 

1895 

1896-__. _. 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

45  25 

1852 

1853 

1854 

1855.... -.-. 

1856 

1857 

1858 

1859 

1860 

1861 

40  71 

36  75 
30  70 

37  04 
34  96 

37  28 

38  23 

47  70 
44  94 

48  46 

1862 

1863 

1864 

1902 

1903 

1904 

43  20 
42  25 
37  62 

1865 

1905 

35  94 

1866 

1906 

36  50 

1867 

1907 

38  16 

1868 

1908. 

42  33 

1869 _. 

1909 

1910 

47  71 

1870 

45  23 

1871 

1911 

46  01 

1872... --. 

1912 

1913 

42  04 

1873 

40  23 

1874 

1875 

1914 

1915 

49  05 
81  52 

1876 

1916 

1917 

93  50 

1877 

98  29 

1878 

1918 

114  03 

1879 

1880 

1919 

1920 

89  04 
75  45 

1881 

1882 

1921 

1922 

44  56 
55  35 

1883 

1923 

1924 

60  98 

1884 

68  33 

1885 

1925 

80  81 

1886 

1926 

87  64 

Totals 

1887 - 

1888 

1889 

2.219,431 

$109,047,501 

•Flasks  of  75  lbs.  since  June,  1904;  of  76}^  lbs.  previously. 


SILVER. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Keports  IV,  VIII,  XII-XXIII 
(inc.).    Bulletins  67,  91.    Min.  &  Sci.  Press,  March  1,  1919. 

Except  for  the  early-day  production  from  the  silver  mines  of  the 
Calico  district  and  the  more  recent  production  from  those  of  the 
Randsburg  area,  both  of  which  are  in  San  Bernardino  County,  the 
recovery  of  silver  in  California  has  been  largely  as  a  by-product  from 
its  association  with  copper,  lead,  zinc,  and  gold  ores. 

The  1926  silver  output  of  California  totaled  2,022,460  fine  ounces, 
valued  at  $1,262,015,  compared  with  3,054,416  fine  ounces  valued  at 
$2,106,871  in  1925.  Of  the  1926  yield,  $12,082  was  from  placers.  The 
average  price  of  domestic  silver  during  1926  was  62.4^  per  ounce  in 
New  York,  as  against  69.4^  in  1925.  The  figures  below  are  those  of  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  Department  of  Commerce  (as  explained  under 
Gold). 


60    / 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


1  OA 

/^afngfe-> 

1  1 0 

Average- -..^X 

l\—' 

Prices  of 
BAR.  SILVER. 

Bullion,  999  Fine. 

■-I    VJikrAr  Vz-irl/-  C^h>.r 

1 

"ents  per  Troy  Ounce 

VO 

_  _^  __ 

ft  r» 

i  \    - 

~"i\ 

10 

IH    HI 

tFiC\ 

/  y   \        ■-*- 
J 

^m 

:_: 

\      ItWttI 

cri 

\ 

ITT 

.  . 

hO        to        r>        O*        — -       lO       LTikO 

—      —      —      —      c^     cs      csc>< 

O*       0«        O       O        O^       CN       0^^\ 


Ji 


> 

o 

z 


-)    >o 


I92fc  1921 

From  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,   Aug.   13,    1927. 


> 

o 

z 


The  distribution  of  the  1926  silver  yield,  by  counties,  was  as  follows : 

Silver   Production,    by    Counties,   1926. 

County                                                                                                   Fine  ounces  Value 

Amador     21,510  $13,422 

Butte     4,803  2,997 

Calaveras    9,983  6,229 

Del  Norte 6  4 

El    Dorado    756  472 

Fresno     84  52 

Humboldt    10  6 

Imperial    31  19 

Inyo 124,508  77,693 

Kern    -■ 7,479  4,667 

Lassen     1  1 

Los    Angeles    68,362  42,658 

Madera    35  22 

Mariposa    2,433  1,518 

Modoc    5  3 

Mono    194,557  121,404 

Monterey    5  3 

Napa    81,116  50,616 

Nevada   48,101  30,015 

Orange    1,550  967  . 

Placer    554  346 

Plumas    347.147  216,620 

Riverside    5,024  3,135   ' 

Sacramento    2,607  1,627 

San   Bernardino    884,045  551,644  : 

San   Diego    545  340 

Santa   Cruz    1  1 

Shasta     177,434  110.719 

Sierra    4,669  2,913 

Siskiyou    1,137  709 

Sta^^us    ________.-_______--_---_-------^  ^J59  ^^411 

?^ff™":::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  ii:lli       l;^  \ 

Totals    2,022,460  $1,262,015 

The  following  paragraphs  are  quoted  from  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  \ 

Department  of  Commerce,  Advance  Chapter  on  Gold  and  Silver  for 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


61 


1926,  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Hill,  statistician  in  charge  of  the  San 
Francisco  branch  office : 

"The  output  of  silver  in  California  in  1926  was  2,022,460  ounces,  valued  at 
$1,262,015,  a  decrease  of  34  per  cent  in  quantity  and  40  per  cent  in  value  as  com- 
pared with  1925.  Five  counties  yielded  more  than  100,000  ounces  of  silver  each  in 
1926,  namely,  San  Bernardino,  with  884,045  ounces,  a  decrease  of  1,102,110  ounces, 
largely  from  silver  ore  produced  by  the  California  Rand  Silver  (Inc.)  ;  Plumas 
County,  with  347,147  ounces,  a  decrease  of  76,850  ounces,  largely  from  copper  ores 
of  the  Engels  and  Walker  mines;  Shasta  County,  with  177,434  ounces,  a  decrease  of 
123,456  ounces,  largely  from  copper  and  zinc  ores ;  Mono  County,  with  194,557 
ounces,  an  increase  of  192,266  ounces;  and  Inyo  County,  with  124,508  ounces,  a 
decrease  of  45,180  ounces,  most  of  which  was  from  lead  ore.  The  next  largest  silver 
production  was  81,116  ounces  from  Napa  County  silver  ores,  followed  by  68,362 
ounces  from  Los  Angeles  County  lead-zinc  ores. 

"The  yield  of  silver  from  placer  mines  in  1926  was  19,362  ounces,  an  increase  of 
4  per  cent  as  compared  with  1925,  and  0.96  per  cent  of  the  total  silver  output  of  the 
state.  Of  the  2,003,098  ounces  of  silver  produced  at  lode  mines  in  1926  silver  ore 
and  tailings  yielded  57  per  cent  (66  per  cent  in  1925),  copper  ore  and  tailings  20 
per  cent  (23  per  cent  in  1925),  lead  ore  6  per  cent  (same  in  1925),  gold  ore  and 
tailings  5  per  cent  (3  per  cent  in  1925),  and  zinc  ore  7  per  cent  and  lead-zinc  ore 
nearly  4  per  cent. 

"Silver  production  at  each  of  46  properties  was  in  excess  of  1000  ounces  in  1926 
as  compared  with  45  in  1925,  and  these  mines  yielded  98  per  cent  of  the  total  silver 
produced  in  the  state.  At  31  properties  the  yield  was  between  1000  and  10^000 
ounces  (30  in  1925),  at  10  between  10,000  and  100,000  (11  in  1925),  at  4  between 
100,000  and  300,000  (3  in  1925),  and  at  1  mine  in  excess  of  800,000  ounces  in  1926. 
No  mine  in  California  produced  as  much  as  1,000,000  ounces  of  silver  in  1926.  The 
10  largest  silver  producers  in  California  in  1926,  in  order  of  output,  were  the  Cali- 
fornia Rand  Silver  (Inc.),  Mono  Mining  Co.  of  Nevada,  Engels  Copper  Mining  Co., 
Walker  Mining  Co.,  California  Zinc  Co.,,  Palisades  Mines  Co..  Santa  Catalina  Island 
Co.,  American  Metals  Co.,  Tecopa  Consolidated  Mining  Co.,  and  the  Empire  Mines  Co." 

Silver  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  amount  and  value  of  the  silver  production  of  California,  and 
the  average  price,  annually,  since  1880  are  given  in  the  table  following. 
In  the  table  shown  in  the  statistical  bulletins  previous  to  Bulletin  97 
(for  1925),  the  values  shown  for  1880-1904  (inc.)  were  taken  from  the 
reports  of  the  Director  of  the  Mint,  of  which  the  figures  for  1880-1896 
(inc.)  were  based  on  'coinage  value'  ($1.2929  per  fine  ounce).  We 
have  recalculated  these  to  commercial  value,  using  the  price  table  of  the 
U.  S.  Geological  Sui-vey  (McCaskey,  H.  D.,  Gold  and  Silver,  1913: 
Mineral  Resources  of  the  U.  S.,  Part  I,  p.  847).  From  1905  to  date,  the 
figures  are  those  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  and  its  successor,  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines : 


Year 

Fine  oz. 

Value 

Average 

price 

per  oz. 

Year 

Fine  oz. 

Value 

Average 

price 

per  oz. 

1880 

882,169 

580,091 

653,569 

1,129,244 

3,236,987 

1,986,260 

1,245,747 

1.262,282 

1,314,874 

823,947 

820.336 

737,224 

358,575 

415,468 

229,896 

463.911 

326,757 

754,648 

701,788 

855,869 

1,168.157 

950,831 

1,163,041 

958,230 

$1,014,494 

655,503 

745,069 

1,253,461 

3,593,056 

2,125,298 

1,233,290 

1,237,036 

1,235,982 

774,510 

861,353 

729,852 

311,960 

324,065 

144,834 

301,542 

222,195 

452,789 

414,055 

513,521 

724,257 

570,499 

616,412 

517,444 

$1  15 
1  13 
1  14 
1  11 
1  11 
1  07 
0  99 
0  98 
0  94 

0  94 

1  05 
0  99 

87 
78 
63 
65 
68 
60 
59 
60 
62 
60 
53 
54 

1904 

1,441,259 
1,076,174 
1,220,641 
1,138,856 
1,647,278 
2,098,253 
1,840,085 
1,270,445 
1,300,136 
1,378,399 
1,471,859 
1,678,756 
2,564,354 
1,775,431 
1,427,711 
1,107,189 
1,706,327 
3,629,223 
3.100,065 
3.559,443 
3,555,133 
3,054.416 
2,022,460 

$835,929 

650.009 

817,830 

751,646 

873.057 

1,091,092 

993,646 

673,336 

799,584 

832,553 

813.938 

851,129 

1,687,345 

1,462,955 

1,427,711 

1,240,051 

1,859.896 

3,629,223 

3,100,065 

2,918,743 

2,381,952 

2,119,765 

1,262,015 

$0  58 

1881 

1905   -  . 

61 

1882 

1906 

1907 

68 

1883 

66 

1884 

1908 

1909 

1910 

53 

1885 

52 

1886. . . 

54 

1887 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

1921.... 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 ._ 

1926... 

Totals... 

53 

1888 

615 

1889... 

604 

1890 

553 

1891 

507 

1892... 

658 

1893 

824 

1894.. 

1  00 

1895.... 

1  12 

1896 

1  09 

1897... 

1  00 

1898 

1  00 

1899... 

82 

1900.... 

67 

1901 

694 

1902.... 

624 

1903 

68,083,794 

$53,645,947 

62  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

TIN. 

Bihliograpliy :  Reports  XV,  XVII,  XVIII.    Bulletins  67,  91. 

Tin  is  not  at  present  produced  in  California ;  but  during  1891-1892, 
there  was  some  output  from  a  small  deposit  near  Corona,  in  Riverside 
County,  as  tabulated  below.  Small  quantities  of  stream  tin  have  been 
found  in  some  of  the  placer  workings  in  northern  California,  but  never 
in  paying  amounts. 

Two  occurrences  have  also  been  noted,  in  northern  San  Diego  County. 
Crystals  of  cassiterite  were  found  there,  associated  with  blue  tourmaline 
crystals,  amblygonite  and  beryl.  No  commercial  quantity  has  been 
developed,  only  small  pockets  have  been  taken  out. 

The  principal  sources  of  the  world's  supplj^  of  tin  are  the  islands  of 
Banka,  Billiton  and  Singkep,  Netherlands  India  (Dutch  East  Indies), 
followed  by  the  Federated  Mala.y  States  (Perak,  Pahang,  Negri  Sem- 
bilan  and  Selangor).  Bolivia,  Siam,  Cornwall,  Transvaal,  New  South 
Wales,  Queensland  and  Tasmania  are  also  important  sources.  A 
measurable  amount  of  the  metal  is  also  recovered  by  detinning  scrap 
and  old  cans. 

Total  Output  of  Tin  in  California. 

Year  Pounds  Value 

1891   125,289  $27,564 

1892    126,000  32,400 


Totals    251,289  $59,964 

TUNGSTEN. 

Bihliograpliy:  Reports  XV,  XVII,  XVIII,  XXII.  Bulletins  38, 
67,  91,  95.  U.  S.  G.  S.  Bull.  652.  Proc.  Colo.  Sci.  Soc.  Vol.  XI. 
South  Dakota  School  of  Mines,  Bulletin  No.  12.  Eng.  and  Min. 
Jour.-Press,  Vol.  113,  pp.  666-669,  Apr.  22,  1922. 

The  commercial  production  of  tungsten  ores  and  concentrates  in 
California  began  in  1905;  and  has  been  continuous  since,  with  the 
exception  of  1920-1922  (inclusive),  when  the  mines  were  shut  down 
owing  to  low  prices  due  to  excess  stocks  following  the  war  and  to  lack 
of  tariff  protection  against  foreign  importations.  Production  was 
resumed  on  a  small  scale  late  in  1923,  and  is  now  at  practically  its 
pre-war  average  annual  tonnage,  though  the  1926  figures  are  about 
25  per  cent  less  than  those  for  1925. 

The  material  shipped  in  1926  included  both  high-grade  sorted  ore  and 
concentrates,  coming  from  properties  in  Inyo  and  San  Bernardino 
counties.  A  total  of  402  tons  of  all  grades  was  reported  produced, 
yielding  441  tons  recalculated  to  60%  WO3,  valued  at  a  total  of 
$316,560.  j 

Prices  during  1926  ranged  from  $10.54  to  $11.64  per  unit,  duty  paid, 
for  Chinese  wolframite,  with  domestic  scheelite  $10.25  to  $11.00. 
Present  prices  are  approximately  the  same. 

Tungsten  ore  has  been  produced  in  California  principally  in  the 
Atolia-Randsburg  district  in  San  Bernardino  and  Kern  counties,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Bishop  district  in  Inyo  County,  with  small  amounts 
coming  from  Nevada  County  and  from  the  district  near  Goffs,  in  eastern 
San  Bernardino.    Most  of  the  California  tungsten  ore  is  scheelite  (cal- 


\ 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  63 

cium  tungstate),  though  wolframite  (iron-manganese  tungstate)  and 
hiibernite  (manganese  tungstate)  also  occur.  The  deposits  at  Atolia 
are  the  largest  and  most  productive  scheelite  deposits  known/  and  the 
output  has  in  some  years  equaled  or  exceeded  that  of  ferberite  (iron 
tungstate)  from  Boulder  County,  Colorado.  It  is  interesting  in  this 
connection  to  note  that,  in  practically  all  other  tungsten  producing 
districts  of  the  world,  wolframite  is  the  important  constituent. 

Imports  of  foreign  tungsten  ore  and  alloys  into  the  United  States 
during  1926  amounted  to  3,441,975  pounds,  valued  at  $871,294,  com- 
pared with  3,089,589  pounds  valued  at  $735,108  in  1925,  and  10,362 
long  tons  of  ore  valued  at  $11,409,237  in  1918,  which  ores  were  duty 
free  up  to  September  22,  1922.  Owing  to  lack  of  protection  against  the 
cheap  coolie  labor  of  Asiatic  tungsten  mines,  and  the  low  market  prices, 
practically  all  of  the  tungsten  mines  in  the  United  States  were  closed 
down  from  the  middle  of  1919  to  the  latter  part  of  1923.  Quotations 
during  1922  ranged  around  $2.50  per  unit,  up  to  September.  The 
Tariff  Act  of  1922  placed  a  duty  on  tungsten  ore  or  concentrates  of  45^' 
per  pound  on  the  metallic  tungsten  contained  therein.  Duties  are  also 
provided  for  imported  tungsten-bearing  alloys.  Most  of  the  imported 
ore  is  coming  from  China,  with  smaller  amounts  from  Malaya  and 
Bolivia. 


Uses. 

The  metal,  tungsten,  is  used  mainly  in  the  steel  industry  and  in  the 
manufacture  of  electrical  appliances,  including  the  well-known  tung- 
sten filament  lamps.  Because  of  its  resistance  to  corrosion  by  acids,  it 
is  valuable  in  making  certain  forms  of  chemical  apparatus.  Its  employ- 
ment in  tool-steel  alloys  permits  the  operation  of  cutting  tools,  such  as 
in  lathe  work,  at  a  speed  and  temperature  at  which  carbon  steel  would 
lose  its  temper — hence  the  name  'high  speed'  steels  for  these  tungsten 
alloys.  As  made  in  the  United  States,  tungsten  forms  13%  to  20%  of 
such  steels.  Some  chromium,  nickel,  cobalt,  or  vanadium  are  sometimes 
also  included.  Tungsten  compounds  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
colors.  The  indicated  consumption  is  approximately  5000  tons  of  60% 
concentrates  per  year,  in  the  United  States. 

Tungsten  is  introduced  into  the  molten  steel  charge,  either  as  the 
powdered  metal  or  as  ferro-tungsten  (containing  50%-85%  tungsten). 
The  specific  gravity  of  the  pure  metal,  19.3-21.4,  is  exceeded  only  by 
platinum,  21.5 ;  iridium,  22.4 ;  and  osmium,  22.5.  Its  melting  point  is 
3267°  C.  (5913°  F.),  being  higher  than  any  other  known  metal. 
Though  millions  of  tungsten  filament  lamps  are  now  made,  the  wires 
are  so  fine  that  the  metal  they  contain  represents  but  a  few  tons  of 
tungsten  concentrates  annually. 

Total  Tungsten  Ore   Production  of  California. 

The  annual  amount  and  value  of  tungsten  ores  and  concentrates 
produced  in  California  since  the  inception  of  the  industry'  is  given  here- 
with, with  tonnages  recalculated  to  60%  WO3 : 

'U.  S.  G.  S.  Bull.  652,  p.  32. 


64 


Mineral  industry  of  California. 


Year 

Tons  at 
60%  WOa 

Value 

Year 

Tons  at 
60%  WOs 

Valup 

1905 

57 
485 
287 
105 
577 
457 
387 
572 
?59 
420 
962 

518,800 
189,100 
120,587 
37.750 
190,500 
208,245 
127,706 
206,000 
234,673 
180,575 
1,005,467 

1916 

2,270 

2,466 

1,982 

214 

$4,571,521 

1906-. 

1917 

3,079,013 

1907                              .     

1918 .     . 

2,832.222 

1908    

1919 

219,316 

1909 

1920 

1910 

1923 

1924 

1925 

34 

781 
573 
441 

19,126 

1911 

1912 

446.009 
348,475 

1913 

1926 

316.560 

1914 

1915          ...       

Totals 

13.629 

$14,351,641 

VANADIUM. 

Bibliography :  Eeport  XV.    Bulletins  67,  91.    Proc.  Colo.  Sci.  Soc, 
Vol.  XI.    U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Bulletin  104. 

No  commercial  production  of  vanadium  has  yet  been  made  in  Cali- 
fornia. Occurrences  of  this  metal  have  been  found  at  Camp  Signal, 
near  Goffs,  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  two  companies  at  one  time 
did  considerable  development  \York  in  the  endeavor  to  open  up  paying 
quantities.  Each  had  a  mill  under  construction  in  1916,  but  apparently 
no  commercial  output  was  made.  Ore  carrying  the  mineral  cuprodes- 
cloizite  and  reported  as  assaying  4%  VgO,,  was  opened  up.  Some  ore 
carrying  lead  vanadate  has  been  developed  in  the  29  Palms,  or  Washing- 
ton district,  on  the  line  between  Riverside  and  San  Bernardino  counties, 
but  no  shipments  reported. 

The  principal  use  of  vanadium  is  as  an  alloy  in  steels,  especially  in 
tool  steel,  and  in  those  varieties  where  resistance  to  repeated  strains  is 
required.  Present  New  York  quotations  for  vanadium  ore  are  @ 
55^-60^  per  pound  of  contained  V.O5  (carrying  12%-18%  V0O5). 

ZINC. 

BiUiography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XIV,  XV,  XVII,  XVIII, 
XX,  XXII,  XXIII.    Bulletins  38,  67,  91. 

Recoverable  zinc  in  ores  mined  in  California  in  1926  amounted  to 
20,447,559  pounds  valued  at  $1,533,568,  compared  with  11,546,602 
pounds  and  $877,542  in  1925.  The  bulk  of  the  1926  product  came  from 
Shasta  and  Los  Angeles  (Santa  Catalina  Island)  counties  and  was 
shipped  in  the  form  of  concentrates  to  Belgium.  A  portion  of  the  out- 
put is  used  locally  in  the  manufacture  of  lithopone,  and  a  small  amount 
of  oxide  is  also  made.  The  world  situation  as  regards  zinc  was  particu- 
larly favorable  in  1926  to  the  American  producer,  and  promises  to 
continue  so. 

The  average  price  per  pound  quoted  for  the  metal  in  1926  was  7.5^, 
as  against  7.6^  in  1925  and  6.5^  in  1924. 

The  zinc  ores  of  Shasta  and  Calaveras  counties  are  associated  with 
copper,  while  those  of  Inyo  and  San  Bernardino  are  associated  princi- 
pally with  lead-silver  and  zinc-silver  ores. 

The  principal  uses  of  zinc  are  for  'galvanizing'  (plating  on  iron  to 
prevent  rust),  for  zinc  oxide  (used  in  rubber  goods  and  paint),  and  for 
brass  (an  alloy  of  copper  and  zinc).  These  outlets  for  the  metal  take 
approximately  80%  of  the  quantity  produced.  Of  the  remaining  20% 
a  large  portion  is  rolled  into  plates  and  sheets,  and  utilized  in  the 


STATISTICS   OP   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


65 


building  industry  for  sheathing,  roofing,  leaders,  and  eaves-troughs. 
Zinc  is  particularly  desirable  and  efficient  for  roofing  and  siding  where 
corrosive  gases  are  present,  as  at  smelters,  refineries  and  chemical  plants. 

Zinc   Production  of  the   United   States. 

The  production  of  slab  zinc^  at  reduction  plants  in  the  United  States 
in  1926  amounted  to  659,221  short  tons  valued  at  $98,883,000.  This 
consisted  of  611,991  tons  of  primary  metal  made  from  domestic  ore, 
6,431  tons  of  primary  metal  made  from  Mexican  ore,  and  40,799  tons 
of  redistilled  secondary  metal.  The  1926  production  exceeded  that  of 
1925  by  47,094  tons,  or  8%. 


21 
20 
19 
16 
17 
16 
15 
14 
13 
12 

n 

10 
9 
8 
1 

b 


< -Range 

Prices  of 

^ .                           "J,      olad  zinc 

Prime  Western.  Brornds 

\     Ave^acre                                   Cents  per  Pound 

::  :e:::::::::  ::::::::::::::"""::"": 

_.  4 

_.._^  -^._     r 

'^A     jf    'Ns.  tffHJsi 

M        t       'Mil^ 

i-        Hi    -  . 

T 

K>  in  I—  o-  —  ro  "3£ 
—  —  —  —  (M  CM  cscs 
Ov        CT.       Ov        O        CTs        o        O*  ^^ 


1-'         >>       2>        D. 
00-54) 

X      Z      -^      CO 

1926 


■>     c     ^     >^    ^ 

O       0       O        O        3 

z    o   z    z:    o 
1927 


^ 


> 

o 

z 


From  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,   Aug.   13,    1927. 
Total  Zinc  Production  of  California. 

Total  figures  for  zinc  output  of  the  state  are  as  follows,  commercial 
production  dating  back  only  to  1906  : 


Year 

Pounds 

Value 

Year 

Pounds 

Value 

1906 

206,000 

177,759 

54,000 

S12,566 

10,598 

3,544 

1917 

11,854,804 
5,565.561 
1,384,192 
1,188,009 
846,184 
3,034,430 

$1,209,190 

1907 

1918 

505  466 

1908 

1919 

101,046 

1909 . 

1920 

96,229 

1910 

1921 

42  309 

1911. 

2,679,842 

4,331,391 

1,157.947 

399,641 

13,043,411 

15,950,565 

152,751 

298,866 

64.845 

20,381 

1,617,383 

2,137,375 

1922 

172,963 

1912 

1923 

1913 

1924 

3,060,000 
11,546,602 
20,447,559 

198  900 

1914 

1925 

877,542 

1915. _._ 

1926 

1,533,568 

1916 

Totals 

96,927,897 

89,056,522 

U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  Press 
•5 — 55185 


Bull.  Apr.   6,   1927. 


66 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Storage  bins  and  100-ton  flotation  plant   (zinc  and  lead), 
Santa  Catalina  Island,  California. 


CHAPTER  FOUR. 

STRUCTURAL  MATERIALS. 


i 


Bihliography:   State    Mineralogist    Eeports    XII-XXIII     (inc.).,- 
Bulletin  38.     Spurr  and  Wormser,  "Marketing  of  Metals  andl 
Minerals."    "Non-Metallic  Minerals,"  by  R.  B.  Ladoo.    See  also 
under  each  substance. 

As  indicated  by  this  subdivision  heading,  the  mineral  substances 
herein  considered  are  those  more  or  less  directly  used  in  building  and 
structural  work.  California  is  independent,  so  far  a^s  these  are  con- 
cerned, and  almost  any  reasonable  construction  can  be  made  with  mate- 
rials produced  in  the  state.  This  branch  of  the  mineral  industry  for 
1926  was  valued  at  $54,250,571  as  compared  with  a  total  value  of 
$53,526,995  for  the  year  1925,  the  increase  being  due  to  miscellaneous 
stone  and  cement  in  spite  of  important  decreases  in  granite,  brick,  and 
magnesite. 

Deposits  of  granite,  marble  and  other  building  stones  are  distributed 
widely  throughout  this  state,  and  transportation  and  other  facilities  are 
gradually  being  extended  so  that  the  growing  demand  may  be  met. 
The  largest  single  item,  cement,  has  had  an  interesting  record  of  growth 
since  the  inception  of  the  industry  in  California  about  1891.  Not  until 
1904  did  the  annual  value  of  cement  produced  reach  the  million-dollar 
mark,  following  which  it  increased  500%  in  nine  years;  though  from 
1914  to  1918  there  was  a  falling  off  common  to  all  building  materials. 
The  1926  output  establishes  a  new  high-level  mark,  in  quantity,  but  the 
total  value  was  a  little  short  of  the  record  figure  of  1923. 

Crushed  rock  production  is  yearly  becoming  more  worthy  of  con- 
sideration, due  to  the  strides  taken  in  the  use  of  concrete,  as  well  as  to 
activity  in  the  building  of  good  roads.    Brick,  with  an  average  annual 


i 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


67 


output  for  a  number  of  years  worth  approximately  $2,000,000,  had 
difficulty  in  holding  its  own,  due  to  the  popularity  of  cement  and  con- 
crete. In  1920,  however,  the  sales  increased  to  nearly  double  the 
previous  record  figure  of  the  year  1907,  and  in  1923  showed  advances 
to  new  figures,  with  a  slight  recession  in  1924-1926.  This  item  will,  no 
doubt,  continue  to  be  an  important  one,  and  a  market  for  fire  and  fancy 
brick  of  all  kinds  will  unquestionably  never  be  lacking. 

All  fifty-eight  counties  contributed  to  this  structural  total  for  1926. 
There  is  not  a  county  in  the  state  which  is  not  capable  of  some  output 
of  at  least  one  of  the  materials  under  this  classification. 

The  following  summary  shows  the  value  of  the  structural  materials 
produced  in  California  during  the  years  1925-1926,  with  increases  or 
decreases  in  each  instance : 


Substance 

1925 

1926 

Increase-|- 
Decrease — 

Amount 

Value 

Amount 

Value 

Value 

Bituminous  rock 

* 

• 

$7,503,976 

25,043,335 

10,912 

1,853,859 

685,528 

872,944 

116,105 

16,120 

14,362 

3,863  tons 

$21,577 

7.026,124 

25,269.678 

7,063 

655,332 

670,837 

587,642 

119,999 

7,575 

17,500 

7,371 

19,859,873 

+ 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile  . 

$477,852- 

Cement 

13,206,630  bbls. 
591  tons 

13,797,173  bbls. 
395  tons 

226.343+ 

Chromite 

3,849— 

Granite  . 

1,198.527— 

Lime 

61,922  tons 
64,623  tons 
35,664  cu.  ft. 
19,940  cu.  ft. 
14,704  cu.  ft. 

63,568  tons 
50,915  tons 
34,806  cu.  ft. 
15,090  cu.  ft. 
34,100  cu.  ft. 

14,691— 

Magnesite 

285,302— 

Marble .  .          ..  . 

3,894+ 

Onyx  and  travertine 

8,545— 

Sandstone 

3,138+ 

Slate... 

7,371+ 

Stone,  miscellaneous 

17,409,854 

2,450,019+ 

Total  values 

$53,526,995 

$54,250,571 

Net  increase 

$723,576+ 

1      'Under  'Unapportioned.' 

i 

ASP 

HALT. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  VII,  X,  XII-XV  (inc.), 
XVII,  XVIII.    Bulletins  16,  32  63,  67,  69,  91. 

Asphalt  was  for  a  number  of  years  accounted  for  in  the  statistical 
reports  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau,  because  in  the  early  days  of  the 
oil  industry,  considerable  asphalt  was  produced  from  outcroppings  of 
oil  sand,  and  was  a  separate  industry  from  the  production  of  oil  itself. 
However,  at  the  present  time  most  of  the  asphalt  comes  from  the  oil 
refineries,  which  produce  a  better  and  more  uniform  grade;  hence,  its 
value  is  not  now  included  in  the  mineral  total,  as  to  do  so  would  be  in 
part  a  duplication  of  the  crude  petroleum  figures.  Such  natural  asphalt 
as  is  at  present  mined  is  in  the  form  of  bituminous  sandstones,  and  is 
recorded  under  that  designation. 


BITUMINOUS    ROCK. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII,  XIII,  XV,  XVII, 
XVIII,  XXI,  XXII. 

This  material  is  essentially  an  uncemented  sandstone  which  is  satur- 
ated with  and  held  together  by  a  natural  asphaltic  constituent  probably 
the  residue  from  the  evaporation  of  a  crude  petroleum  deposit.  Bitu- 
minous rock  is  still  used  to  a  limited  extent  for  road  dressing  in  those 


68 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


districts  adjacent  to  available  deposits,  though  the  manufacture  of 
asphalt  at  the  oil  refineries  has  almost  entirely  superseded  the  direct 
use  of  the  native  material.  The  present  operators  of  the  old  City  Street 
Improvement  Company's  quarry  in  Santa  Cruz  County  advise  that 
they  are  now  putting  on  the  market  a  material  which  can  be  laid  cold. 
It  will  be  especially  applicable  and  valuable  for  patching  jobs. 

Shipments  from  quarries  in  Santa  Barbara  and  Santa  Cruz  counties 
in  1926  totaled  3,863  tons  of  bituminous  rock,  valued  at  $21,577  f.o.b. 
rail-shipping  point,  being  an  increase  over  the  1925  shipments. 

Bituminous  Rock  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  following  tabulation  shows  the  total  amount  and  value  of  bitumi- 
nous rock  quarried  and  sold  in  California,  from  the  records  compiled 
by  the  State  Mining  Bureau,  annually  since  1887 : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Yenr 

Tons 

Value 

1887 - 

36,000 
50,000 
40,000 
40,000 
39,962 
24,000 
32,000 
31,214 
38,921 
49,456 
45,470 
46,836 
40,321 
25,306 
24,052 
33,490 
21,944 
45,280 
24,753 
16,077 
24,122 

$160,000 

257,000 

170,000 

170,000 

154,104 

72,000 

192,030 

115,193 

121,586 

122,.500 

128,173 

137,575 

116,097 

71,495 

66.3.14 

43,411 

53,106 

175,680 

60.436 

45,204 

72,835 

1908. ..- 

1909... 

30,718 
34,123 

87,547 

75,125 

44,073 

37,541 

66,119 

17,789 

19,449 

5,590 

2,561 

4,614 

5,450 

8,298 

4,624 

2,945 

6,040 

2,681 

3,863 

$109,818 

1888 

116,430 

1889..., 

1910... 

165,711 

1890 

1911 

117,279 

1891 

1912 

1913.. 

87,467 

1892 

78,479 

1893.. 

1914 

166,618 

1894 

1915 

61,468 

1895 

1916 

66,561 

1896 

1917.... 

18,580 

1897 

1918 

1919 

9,067 

1898 

18,537 

1899 

1920 - 

27,825 

1900 

1921 

43,192 

1901 

1922 

13,570 

1902 

1923             

11.780 

1903 

1924 

14,922 

1904 

1925 

10,724 

1905 

1926 

21,577 

1906 

Totals 

1,188,354 

1907 

53,664,4.50 

BRICK    AND    HOLLOW    TILE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Keports  VIII,  X,  XII-XV  (inc.), 
XVII-XXIII  (inc.).  Bulletins  38,  99.  Preliminary  Report, 
No.  7.    Cal.  Jour,  of  Development,  June,  1925,  pp.  5-6. 

Bricks  of  many  varieties  and  in  important  quantities  are  annually 
produced  in  California,  as  might  be  expected  in  a  state  with  such  diver- 
sified and  widespread  mineral  resources.  The  varieties  include  com- 
mon, fire,  pressed,  glazed,  enamel,  fancy,  vitrified,  sand-lime,  and  others. 
Not  only  do  the  plants  here  supply  practically  all  of  our  own  require-, 
ments  in  these  products,  but  considerable  quantities  are  shipped  to 
contiguous  territory  and  certain  products  are  shipped  over  a  much 
wider  radius.  So  far  as  possible,  the  different  kinds  have  been  segre- 
gated in  the  tabulation  herewith  accompanying. 

We  also  include  under  this  heading  the  various  forms  of  hollow 
building  'tile'  or  blocks.  The  application  of  these  tile  to  residence 
construction  as  well  as  to  other  structures  is  growing;  though  their 
total  for  1926  shows  a  slight  drop  from  the  figures  of  1925. 

The  aggregate  value  of  all  kinds  of  brick  in  1926  shows  a  decrease  of 
approximately  6%  from  that  of  1925,  to  which  each  of  the  groups 
contributed. 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


69 


The  detailed  figures  of  brick  and  hollow  tile  production  for  1926  by 
counties  are  given  in  the  following  tabulation.  'Production'  in  this 
case  means  sales  of  products  of  California  manufacture;  and  'value'  is 
net  price  at  the  works,  f .  o.  b.  cars,  trucks  or  boats. 


Plant  of  lone  Brick  Company,   one  mile  east  of  lone,   Amador   County. 

Phbto   by   C.   A.   Logan. 


70 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


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STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


71 


Brick  and  Hollow  Tile  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Record  of  brick  production  in  the  state  has  been  kept  since  1893  by 
this  Bureau,  the  figures  for  hollow  building  'tile'  or  blocks  being  also 
included  since  1914.  The  annual  and  total  figures,  for  amount  and 
value,  are  given  in  the  following  table : 


Year  Brick,  M 

1893    103,900 


1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 
1899 


81,675 

131,772 

24,000 

97,468 

100,102 

125,950 


1900  137,191 

1901  130,766 

1902  169,851 

1903  214,403 

1904  281,750 

1905  286,618 

1906  277,762 

1907  362,167 

1908  332,872 

1909  333,846 

1910  340,883 

1911  327,474 

1912  337,233 

1913  358,754 

1914  270,791 

1915  180,538 

1916  206,960 

1917   192,269 

1918  -  136,374 

1919  156,328 

1920  245,842 

1921  238,022 

1922  374,853 

1923  397,754 

1924  456,716 

1925  361,094 

1926  388,048 


Hollow 

building 

hlocks,  tons 


Totals 8,162,026 


29,348 

34,818 

36,026 

99,208 

67,100 

105,909 

122,534 

114,469 

105,491 

90,332 

805,235 


Value 

$801,750 

457,125 

672,360 

524,740 

563,240 

571,362 

754,730 

905,210 

860,488 

1,306,215 

1,999,546 

1,994,740 

2,273,786 

2,538,848 

3,438,951 

2,506,495 

3,059,929 

2,934,731 

2,638,121 

2,940,290 

2,915,350 

2,288,227 

1,678,756 

2,096,570 

2,532,721 

2,363,481 

3,087,067 

5,704,393 

5,570,875 

7,994,991 

9,738,082 

9,137,908 

7,503,976 

7,026,124 


$103,381,178 


» 


CEMENT. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  VIII,  IX,  XII,  XIV, 
XV,  XVII,  XVIII,  XXI-XXIII,  Bulletin  38. 

Cement  is  the  most  important  single  structural  material  in  the  min- 
eral output  of  California.  During  1926  there  was  produced  a  total  of 
13,797,173  barrels,  valued  at  $25,269,678,  f .  o.  b.  plant,  being  an  increase 
of  over  half  a  million  barrels  in  quantity,  but  only  slightly  in  total 
value  owing  to  a  small  drop  in  prices.  The  1925  output  was  13,206,630 
barrels  valued  at  $25,043,335,  or  an  average  of  $1.90  per  barrel.  The 
1926  average  was  $1.84  per  barrel. 

The  1926  production  came  from  eleven  operating  plants  in  nine 
counties,  and  employing  a  total  of  3047  men.  The  three  plants  in  San 
Bernardino  County  made  a  total  of  5,135,840  barrels,  valued  at 
$9,273,627,  the  balance  of  the  state's  product  coming  from  a  single 
plant  in  each  of  the  following  counties :  Calaveras,  Contra  Costa,  Kern, 
Riverside,  San  Benito,  San  Mateo,  Santa  Cruz,  and  Solano.  The  new 
plant  of  the  Calaveras  Cement  Company  near  San  Andreas,  Calaveras 
County,  began  operation  and  commercial  shipments  in  1926.  Recent 
press  notices  record  the  consolidation  of  the  Pacific  Portland  Cement 
Corporation  operating  cement  plants  in  San  Mateo  and  Solano  counties 


111922      1924      1926     1928 


i1  ^5 — pages  72-73 


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CHART    SHOWING    RELATIVE   PARALLELISM 

BETWEEN 

CEMENT    PRODUCTION 

AND     THAT    OF 

CRUSHED  ROCK,  SAND  and   GRAVEL 

IN 

CALIFORNIA,  I894--  1926  <INC> 

1/       \ 
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'  1 
1 

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1894    1896     1898     1900     1902     1904     1906      1908     1910      1912      1914      19IS      1918      1920     1922      1924      1926     1928 


p:iges  72-7:i 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


73 


and  a  gypsum  plant  in  Imperial  County,  with  the  Old  Mission  Portland 
Cement  Company  operating  at  San  Juan,  San  Benito  County. 

That  there  has  been  an  interesting  parallelism  in  the  growth  of  the 
Portland  cement  and  the  crushed  rock,  sand  and  gravel  industries  in 
California  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  chart,  on  which  the  writer 
has  plotted  the  quantities  and  values  of  each  by  years  since  1893.  The 
use  of  concrete  has  been  a  most  important  development  in  structural 
work  during  the  last  20  or  30  years,  and  has  made  possible  the  building 
of  such  great  monolithic  structures  as  our  irrigation  and  hydroelectric- 
power  dams,  as  well  as  highway  pavements  and  skyscraper  office  build- 


ings. 


Cement   Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

'Portland'  cement  was  first  commercially  produced  in  California  in 
1891 ;  though  in  1860  and  for  several  years  following,  a  natural 
hydraulic  cement  from  Benicia  was  utilized  in  building  operations  in 
San  Francisco. 

^  "The  Benicia  Cement  Company  in  1859-60  was  turning  out  50  to 
100  barrels  of  cement  a  daj^  and  San  Francisco  was  using  about  12,000 
barrels  a  year.  The  mill  price  of  the  product  was  then  $4  a  barrel.  By 
1865,  the  San  Francisco  rate  of  consumptiou  had  increased  to  100,000 
barrels  yearly,  brick  buildings  largely  taking  the  place  of  frame  struc- 
tures, and  the  price  of  cement  had  fallen  to  $2.50  a  barrel,  about  the 
same  as  it  is  today." 

The  growth  of  the  industry  became  rapid  after  1902;  since  which 
time  cement  has  continued  to  be  an  important  factor  in  the  industrial 
life  of  the  state.  Although  the  total  cement  figures,  to  date,  are  not 
of  the  same  magnitude  as  those  for  gold  and  petroleum,  it  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  value  of  California's  cement  yield  beginning  with 
1920  has  since  annually  exceeded  the  value  of  her  gold  output. 

Annual  production  of  cement  in  California  has  been  as  follows : 


Year 

Barrels 

Value 

Year 

Barrels 

Value 

1891 

5,000 
5,000 

115,000 
15,000 

1910  

5,453,193 

6,371,369 

6,198,634 

6,167,806 

5,109,218 

4,918,275 

5,299,507 

5,790,734 

4,772,921 

4,615,289 

6,709,160 

7,404,221 

8,962,135 

10,825,405 

11,655,131 

13,206,630 

13,797,173 

S7,485,715 

1892 

1911 

9,085,625 

1893    

1912 

6,074,661 

1894 

8,000 

16,383 

9,500 

18,000 

50,000 

60,000 

52,000 

71,800 

171,000 

640,868 

969,538 

1,265,553 

1,286,000 

1,613,563 

1,629,615 

3,779,205 

21,600 

32,556 

28,250 

66,000 

150,000 

180,000 

121,000 

159,812 

423,600 

968,727 

1,539,807 

1,791,916 

1,941,250 

2,585,577 

2,359,692 

4,969,437 

1913 

7,743,024 

1895   .  . 

1914 

6,558,148 

1896 

1915    

6,014,950 

1897 

1916 

6,210,293 

1898   

1917 

7,544,282 

1899 

1918 

7,969,909 

1900.   

1919 

8,591,990 

1901 

1920      

14,962,945 

1902  . 

1921 

18.072,120 

1903-.. -. 

1922 

16,524,056 

1904 

1923     .  

25,999,203 

1905 

1924 

23,225,850 

1906 

1925        

25,043,335 

1907 

1926 

25,269,678 

IQflS 

Totals 

1909 

138,937,826 

$239,775,028 

1  Monthly  Review,  of  Mercantile  Trust  Co.  of  Cal.,  Vol.  XIII,  No.  3,  p.  55,  Mar.  1924. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


73 


and  a  gypsum  plant  in  Imperial  County,  with  the  Old  Mission  Portland 
Cement  Company  operating  at  San  Juan,  San  Benito  County. 

That  there  has  been  an  interesting  parallelism  in  the  growth  of  the 
Portland  cement  and  the  crushed  rock,  sand  and  gravel  industries  in 
California  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  chart,  on  which  the  writer 
has  plotted  the  quantities  and  values  of  each  by  years  since  1893.  The 
use  of  concrete  has  been  a  most  important  development  in  structural 
work  during  the  last  20  or  30  years,  and  has  made  possible  the  building 
of  such  great  monolithic  structures  as  our  irrigation  and  hydroelectric- 
power  dams,  as  well  as  highway  pavements  and  skyscraper  office  build- 


ings. 


Cement   Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

'Portland'  cement  was  first  commercially  produced  in  California  in 
1891;  though  in  1860  and  for  several  years  following,  a  natural 
hydraulic  cement  from  Benicia  was  utilized  in  building  operations  in 
San  Francisco. 

^  "The  Benicia  Cement  Company  in  1859-60  was  turning  out  50  to 
100  barrels  of  cement  a  day  and  San  Francisco  was  using  about  12,000 
barrels  a  year.  The  mill  price  of  the  product  was  then  $4  a  barrel.  By 
1865,  the  San  Francisco  rate  of  consumption  had  increased  to  100,000 
barrels  yearly,  brick  buildings  largely  taking  the  place  of  frame  struc- 
tures, and  the  price  of  cement  had  fallen  to  $2.50  a  barrel,  about  the 
same  as  it  is  today." 

The  growth  of  the  industry  became  rapid  after  1902;  since  which 
time  cement  has  continued  to  be  an  important  factor  in  the  industrial 
life  of  the  state.  Although  the  total  cement  figures,  to  date,  are  not 
of  the  same  magnitude  as  those  for  gold  and  petroleum,  it  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  value  of  California's  cement  yield  beginning  with 
1920  has  since  annually  exceeded  the  value  of  her  gold  output. 

Annual  production  of  cement  in  California  has  been  as  follows : 


Year 

Barrels 

Value 

Year 

Barrels 

Value 

1891 

5,000 
5,000 

$15,000 
15,000 

1910 

5,453,193 

6,371,369 

6,198,634 

6.167,806 

5,109,218 

4,918,275 

5,299,507 

5,790,734 

4,772,921 

4,615,289 

6,709,160 

7,404,221 

8,962,135 

10,825,405 

11,655,131 

13,206,630 

13,797,173 

$7,485,715 

1892 

1911 

9,085,625 

1893 

1912     

6,074,661 

1894 

8,000 

16,383 

9,500 

18,000 

50,000 

60,000 

52,000 

71,800 

171,000 

640,868 

969.538 

1,265,553 

1,286,000 

1,613,563 

1,629,615 

3,779,205 

21,600 

32,556 

28,250 

06,000 

150.000 

180,000 

121.000 

159.842 

423,600 

968,727 

1,539,807 

1,791,916 

1,941,250 

2,585,577 

2,359,692 

4,969,437 

1913 

7,743,024 

1895   

1914 

6,558,148 

1896 

1915 

6,014,950 

1897 

1916 

6,210,293 

1898 

1917  .    

7,544,282 

1899 

1918 

7,969,909 

1900 

1919 

8,591,990 

1901 

1920 

14,962,945 

1902 

1921        -- 

18,072,120 

1903 

1922 

16,524,056 

1904 

1923.. 

25,999,203 

1905 

1924      

23,225,850 

1906 

1925 

25,043,335 

1907 

1926_ 

25,269,678 

1908 

Totals 

138,937,826 

1909 

$239,775,028 

'  Monthly  Review,  of  Mercantile  Trust  Co.  of  Cal.,  Vol.  XIII,  No.  3,  p.  55,  Mar.  1924. 


74  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

CHROMITE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  XII,  XIII,  XIV, 
XV,  XVII,  XVIII,  XXI-XXIII.  Bulletins  38,  76,  91.  Prelim- 
inary Report  3.  U.  S.  G.  S.,  Bull.  430.  Min.  &  Sci.  Press,  Vol. 
114,  p.  552. 

Chromic  iron  ore,  or  chromite,  to  the  amount  of  395  short  tons,  recal- 
culated to  a  basis  of  45%  CrgOs,  valued  at  $7,063  f.o.b.  shipping  point, 
was  sold  in  California  during  the  year  1926.  This  was  largely  of  ore 
that  had  been  mined  during  the  World  War  period  but  not  then  sold. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  development  of  the  steel  industry  and  the  resump- 
tion of  copper  smelting  on  the  Pacific  Coast  may  create  some  demand 
for  California's  chromite,  but  the  outlook  for  the  immediate  future  is 
not  encouraging. 

The  political  and  commercial  control  of  chromite  now  rests  largely 
with  England,  through  the  ownership  and  sales  contracts  exercised  by 
the  Chrome  Company  (Ltd.),  of  London.  That  company  controls  both 
the  Rhodesian  and  the  New  Caledonian  output. 


« 


Occurrence. 

Until   1916,   Avhen   some   shipments  were   made   from   Oregon   and 
smaller  amounts  from  Maryland,  Wyoming  and  Washington,  practi- 
cally our  only  domestic  production  of  chromite  for  many  years  came 
from  California.    From  1830  to  1870  the  deposits  in  Maryland  supplied  j 
the  world's  consumption.  ^ 

Chromite  is  widely  distributed  in  California,  the  principal  produc- 
tion, thus  far,  having  come  from  El  Dorado,  San  Luis  Obispo,  Del 
Norte,  Shasta,  Siskiyou,  Placer,  Fresno,  and  Tuolumne  counties.  In 
1918  a  total  of  29  counties  contributed  to  the  state's  output.  There  are 
two  main  belts  in  California  yielding  this  mineral,  one  along  the  Coast 
Ranges  from  San  Luis  Obispo  County  to  the  Oregon  line,  including  the 
Klamath  Mountains  at  the  north  end,  and  the  other  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  from  Tulare  County  to  Plumas  County.  Chromite  occurs  as 
lenses  in  basic  igneous  rocks  such  as  peridotite  and  pyroxenite,  and  in 
serpentines  which  have  been  derived  by  alteration  of  such  basic  rocks. 
For  the  most  part,  so  far  as  developments  have  yet  shown,  the  lenses 
have  proved  to  be  small,  relatively  few  of  them  yielding  over  100  tons 
apiece.  A  notable  exception  to  this  was  the  deposit  on  Little  Castle 
Creek,  near  Dunsmuir,  from  which  upwards  of  15,000  tons  was  shipped  . 
before  it  was  exhausted.  Deposits  worked  in  Del  Norte  County  during  * 
1918  promise  well  for  a  large  tonnage.  On  the  whole  the  orebodies  in 
the  northwestern  corner  of  the  state  appear  to  average  larger  in  size 
than  the  chromite  lenses  in  other  parts  of  California. 

Concentration  became  an  accomplished  fact  in  several  localities,  thus 
utilizing  some  of  the  disseminated  and  lower-grade  orebodies  which 
have  been  found.  In  fact,  an  important  part  of  the  1918-1920  produc- 
tion of  California  came  from  that  source. 

Imports. 

Importations  of  foreign  chromite,  duty  free,  mainly  from  Rhodesia, 
New  Caledonia,  and  India,  totaled  214,944  long  tons  in  1926,  valued  at 
$1,711,347,  compared  with  149,739  long  tons  and  $1,207,420  in  1925. 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


75 


Uses. 

The  major  consumption  of  chromite  ore  is  for  use  as  a  refractory 
lining  in  smelting  furnaces  for  steel  and  copper.  A  smaller  portion 
is  used  in  the  preparation  of  ferrochrome  for  chrome-steel  alloys,  and 
of  chromium  chemicals.  It  is  stated  that  during  the  last  three  years, 
the  sales  of  chromite  brick  and  chromite  cement  have  increased  500%, 
because  of  their  replacing  magnesite  which  is  more  expensive. 


Total  Chromite  Production  of  California. 

Production  of  chromite  in  California  began,  apparently,  about  1874, 
principally  in  San  Luis  Obispo  County.  There  was  considerable  act- 
ivity from  1880  to  1883,  inclusive,  and  a  total  of  23,238  long  tons  (or 
26,028  short  tons),  valued  at  $329,924  was  shipped  from  that  county 
up  to  the  beginning  of  1887.  Some  ore  also  was  shipped  from  the 
Tyson  properties  in  Del  Norte  County.  The  tabulation  herewith  shows 
the  output  of  chromite  in  California,  annually,  including  the  earliest 
figures  so  far  as  they  are  available.  The  figures  from  1887  to  date  are 
from  the  records  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1874-1876  (San  Luis  Obispo 
County) 

26,028 
3,000 
1,500 
2,000 
3,599 
1,372 
1,500 
3,319 
3,680 
1,740 
786 

$329,924 
40,000 
20,000 
30,000 
53,985 
20,580 
22,500 
49,785 
39,980 
16,795 
7,775 

1907 

302 

350 

436 

749 

935 

1,270 

1,180 

1,517 

3,725 

48,943 

52,379 

73,955 

*4,314 

1,770 

347 

379 

84 

350 

191 

393 

$6,040 

1908 ..- 

6,195 

1887 

1909           .             

5.309 

1888... 

1910 

9,707 

1889 

1911 

14,197 

1890 . 

1912 

11,260 

1891... 

1913     

12,700 

1892 . 

1914 

9,434 

1893. 

1915 

38,044 

1894.  . 

1916     . 

717,244 

1895 

1917... 

1,130,298 

1896 

1918 

3,649,497 

1897. 

1919 

97,164 

1898 

1920 

43,031 

1899 

1921 

6,870 

1900.- 

140 
130 
315 
150 
123 
40 
317 

1,400 
1,950 
4,725 
2,250 
1,845 
600 
2,859 

1922            

6,334 

1901 

1923     -.- - 

1,658 

1902 

1924- 

6,700 

1903- 

1925              

3,712 

1904 

1926     

7,063 

1905 

Totals- 

1906 

243,310 

$6,429,960 

'Recalculated  to  45%  CrsOa,  beginning  with  1919. 

GRANITE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Eeports,  X,  XII-XXI    (inc.). 
Bulletin  38. 

The  value  of  the  granite  output  of  California  for  1926  receded  some- 
what from  that  of  1925  which  was  the  highest  recorded  for  any  year 
since  the  compilation  of  these  figures  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau,  due 
mainly  to  completion  of  the  contract  for  the  construction  of  the  new 
Los  Angeles  County  Building.  Stone  for  '  monumental '  and  decorative 
purposes  maintains  nearly  the  same  level  in  both  quantity  and  total 
value.  The  net  result  was  a  decrease  in  total  value  of  the  several  groups 
from  $1,853,859  to  $655,332.  We  have  included  under  this  heading 
some  rhyolite  and  tuff  utilized  for  dimension  building  stone,  as  we  have 
no  other  dimension-stone  grouping  for  statistical  purposes  in  this  report 
except  marble  and  sandstone. 


76  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

Crushed  rock,  rubble,  and  paving  blocks  derived  from  granite  quar- 
ries are  given  under  the  heading  of  'Miscellaneous  Stone.' 

So  far  as  possible,  granite  production  has  been  segregated  in  the  table 
herewith  into  the  various  uses  to  which  the  product  was  put.  It  will 
be  noted,  however,  that  a  portion  of  the  output  has  been  entered  under 
the  heading  'Unclassified.'  This  is  necessary  because  of  the  fact  that 
some  of  the  producers  have  no  way  of  telling  to  what  specific  use  their 
stone  was  put  after  they  had  quarried  and  sold  the  same  in  the  rough. 

Varieties. 

For  building  purposes,  the  granites  found  in  California,  particularly 
the  varieties  from  Raymond  in  Madera  County,  Rocklin  in  Placer 
County,  and  near  Porterville  in  Tulare  County,  are  unexcelled  by  any 
similar  stone  found  elsewhere.  The  quantities  available,  notably  at 
Raymond  and  Porterville,  are  unlimited.  Most  of  California's 
'granite,'  particularly  that  found  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  is 
technically  'granodiorite'  (that  is,  both  plagioclase  and  orthoclase  feld- 
spars are  present). 

Granites  of  excellent  quality  for  building  and  ornamental  purposes 
are  also  quarried  in  Riverside  and  San  Diego  counties.  Near  Lakeside, 
San  Diego  County,  there  is  a  fine-grained,  'silver  gray'  granite  of 
uniform  texture  and  color,  especially  suited  for  monumental  and  orna- 
mental work. 

The  Fresno  County  stone  is  a  dark,  hornblende  diorite,  locally  called 
'black  granite,'  whose  color  permits  of  a  fine  contrast  of  polished  and 
unpolished  surfaces,  making  it  particularly  suitable  for  monumental 
and  decorative  purposes.  There  is  also  a  similar  'black  granite'  in 
Tulare  County,  near  Success. 


I 


I 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


77 


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78 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Granite   Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  value  of  granite  produced,  annually,  since  1887,  has  been  as 
follows : 


Year 

Value 

Year 

Value 

1887 

$150,000 

57,000 

1,329,018 

1,200,000 

1,300,000 

1,000,000 

531,322 

228,816 

224,329 

201.004 

188,024 

147,732 

141,070 

295,772 

519,285 

255,239 

678,670 

467,472 

353,837 

344,083 

373,376 

1908 .-.. 

$512,923 

1888 

1909 

376,834 

1889 . 

1910 

417  898 

1890 . 

1911 

355,742 

1891_... 

1912 

362,975 

1892 

1913 

981,277 

1893 

1914..                

628,786 

1894 

1915 

227,928 

1895 

1916 

535,339 

1896 

1917.                      

221,997 

1897 

1918 

139,861 

1898.. 

1919 

220,743 

1899 

1920 

495  732 

1900 

1921 .. 

725,901 

1901- 

1922 

676,643 

1902 

1923- 

760,081 

1903 

1924    .           

1,211,046 

1904 

1925 

1,853,859 

1905 

1926 

655,332 

1906 

Total  value 

1007 : .  . 

$21,346,946 

I 


LIME. 
BihUography:  Keports  XIV,  XV,  XVII,  XVIII.    Bulletin  38. 

Lime  to  the  amount  of  63,568  tons,  valued  at  $670,837,  was  produced 
by  nine  plants  in  seven  counties  during  1926,  as  compared  with  61,922 
tons,  valued  at  $685,528,  in  1925.  There  were  two  plants  each  in  San 
Bernardino  and  Santa  Cruz  counties,  and  one  each  in  El  Dorado,  Kern, 
Shasta,  Tulare,  and  Tuolumne. 

So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  segregate  the  data,  these  figures  include 
mainly  only  such  lime  as  is  used  in  building  operations ;  though  they  do 
include  a  small  proportion  of  calcined  lime  employed  in  agriculture 
and  the  chemical  industries,  the  figures  for  which  were  not  separable. 
A  portion  is  hydrated  lime.  Limestone  utilized  in  sugar  making,  for 
smelter  flux,  as  a  fertilizer,  and  other  special  industrial  uses,  are  classi- 
fied under  '  Industrial  Materials. '  That  consumed  in  cement  manufac- 
ture is  included  in  the  value  of  cement. 

Lime  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  following  tabulation  gives  the  amounts  and  value  of  lime  pro- 
duced in  California  by  years  since  1894  when  compilation  of  such 
records  was  begun  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau.  The  figures  for 
quantity  have  been  recalculated  from  'barrels'  to  'tons'  for  the  years 
1894-1922  (inc.)  : 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


79 


Year 


Tons 

Value 

37,350 

$318,700 

39.776 

3S6.094 

30,275 

261.505 

28,780 

252.900 

29,786 

254.010 

29,985 

311.575 

31,252 

283.699 

31,738 

334,688 

44,866 

369,616 

49,659 

418,280 

57,945 

571,749 

61,700 

555,322 

68,927 

763,060 

68,422 

756.376 

39,639 

379.243 

52,075 

577,824 

47.951 

477,683 

42,959 

390,988 

Year 


Tons 


Value 


1894 
1895 
1806 
1897 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 
1H02 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908. 
1909 
1910 
1911. 


1912 

1913. 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918. 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924. 

1925 

1926 

Totals 


52,212 
61,344 
43,996 
35,653 
49,364 
50,073 
43,684 
42,070 
46,314 
46,353 
57,875 
70.894 
62,029 
61,922 
63,568 


1,580,436 


S464,440 
528.547 
378.663 
286,304 
390,475 
311.380 
461.315 
552,043 
557.232 
610619 
671.747 
788.834 
703.355 
685.528 
670.837 


$15,727,631 


MAGNESITE. 

BiUiography :  State  Mineralogist  Keports  XII-XV  (inc.).  XVII- 
XXIII.  Bulletins  38,  79,  91.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Bulletins  355,  540; 
Min.  Res.  1913,  Pt.  II,  pp.  450-453.  Min.  &  Sci.  Press,  Vol.  114, 
p.  237.  "Magnesite" — Hearings  before  the  Comm.  on  Waj^s 
and  Means,  House  of  Repr.,  on  H.  R.  5218,  June  16,  17,  and 
July  17,  1919.  Eng.  Soe.  W.  Penn.,  Proc.  1913,  Vol.  29,  pp.  305- 
388,  418-444.  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  114,  July  29,  and 
Dec.  2,  1922.  U.  S.  Tariff  Comm.,  ''Crude  and  Caustic  Calcined 
Magnesite.  A  Preliminary  Statement  of  Information,"  Mav  19, 
1926. 

The  production  of  magnesite  in  California  during  1926  amounted  to 
a  total  of  50,915  tons  of  crude  ore,  valued  at  $587,642.  Only  a  small  part 
of  it  was  sold  'crude,'  however,  as  it  is  practically  all  shipped  in  the 
calcined  form.  The  reports  at  hand  show  a  total  of  21,950  tons  shipped 
calcined,  of  which  over  3,500  tons  was  dead-burned  and  sold  for  refrac- 
tory purposes,  the  balance  going  to  the  plastic  trade.  From  2  to  2| 
tons  of  crude  material  are  mined  to  make  one  ton  of  calcined.  The 
1926  output  is  a  decrease  both  in  quantity  and  value  from  the  1925 
figures  of  64,623  tons  crude  valued  at  $872,944.  The  average  of  the 
values  reported  for  1926  is  $11.60  per  ton  compared  with  $13.50  in  1925. 

The  more  important  producing  properties  in  1925  were :  Maltby  No.  1 
(Western  Magnesite  Development  Co.,  operated  under  lease  by  C.  S. 
Maltby)  on  Red  Mountain,  Santa  Clara  County;  and  the  Sierra  Magne- 
site Company's  group  near  Porterville,  Tulare  County;  followed  in 
order  by  the  Sampson  Peak  Mine  (Maltby  No.  3),  San  Benito  County, 
Gray  Eagle  Mine  in  Tuolumne  County,  and  California  Magnesia  Com- 
pany (old  Harker  Mine)  at  Porterville.  A  .small  amount  was  also  con- 
tributed from  Stanislaus  County. 

A  preliminary  press  bulletin  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Hill  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau 
of  Mines  (Mar.  23,  1927)  shows:  Imports  of  magnesite  in  1926  were 
608  tons  crude,  valued  at  $6,555,  most  of  which  came  from  Italy ;  14,830 
tons  of  caustic  calcined,  valued  at  $330,131,  over  half  of  which  came 
from  India,  and  77,108  tons  of  dead-burned,  valued  at  $1,128,823,  prac- 
tically all  of  which  was  from  Italy.  This  was  the  equivalent  of  a  total 
of  196,318  tons  of  crude  ore. 


80  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


I 


Occurrence. 

Magnesite  is  a  natural  carbonate  of  magnesium,  and  when  pure  con- 
tains 52.4%  CO2  (carbon  dioxide)  and  4:1. 6^/0  MgO  (magnesia).  It  has 
a  hardness  of  3.5  to  4.5,  and  specific  gravity  of  3  to  3.12.  It  is  both 
harder  and  heavier  than  calcite  (calcium  carbonate),  and  also  contains 
a  higher  percentage  of  CO,  as  calcite  has  but  44%. 

Most  of  the  Californian  magnesite  is  comparatively  pure,  and  is  ordi- 
narily a  beautiful,  white,  fine-grained  rock  with  a  conchoidal  fracture 
resembling  a  break  in  porcelain.  The  Grecian  magnesite  is  largely  of 
this  character;  but  the  Austrian  varieties  usually  contain  iron,  so  that 
they  become  brown  after  calcining.  The  Washington  magnesite  resem- 
bles dolomite  and  some  crystalline  limestones  in  phj'sical  appearance. 
Its  color  varies  through  light  to  dark  gray,  and  pink. 

In  California  the  known  deposits  are  mostly  in  the  metamorphic  rocks  | 
of  the  Coast  Ranges  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  being  associated 
with  serpentine  areas.  The  notable  exceptions  are  the  sedimentary 
deposits,  at  Bissell  in  Kern  County  and  at  Afton  in  San  Bernardino 
County.  Several  thousand  tons  have  been  shipped  from  the  Bissell 
deposit ;  and  small  shipments  have  been  made  from  the  Afton  property. 

The  Washington  deposits  are  associated  with  extensive  strata  of 
dolomitic  limestone.  The  magnesite  there  appears  to  contain  more  iron 
than  most  of  the  California  mineral,  which  makes  it  desirable  for  the 
steel  operators.  However,  recent  experience  has  proved  that  several 
California  localities  have  sufficient  iron  in  their  magnesite  to  be  service- 
able in  the  steel  furnaces. 

Uses. 

The  principal  uses  include :  Refractory  linings  for  basic  open-hearth 
steel  furnaces,  copper  reverberatories  and  converters,  bullion  and  other 
metallurgical  furnaces ;  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  from  wood  pulp ; 
and  in  structural  work,  for  exterior  stucco,  for  flooring,  wainscoting, 
tiling,  sanitary  kitchen  and  hospital  finishing,  etc.  In  connection  with 
building  work  it  has  proved  particularly  efficient  as  a  flooring  for  steel 
railroad  coaches,  on  account  of  having  greater  elasticitj^  and  resilience 
than  'Portland'  cement.  For  refractory  purposes  the  magnesite  is 
'dead-burned' — i.  c,  all  or  practically  all  of  the  CO,  is  expelled  from  it. 
For  cement  purposes  it  is  left  'caustic' — i.  e.,  from  2%  to  10%  of  CO, 
is  retained.  When  dry  caustic  magnesite  is  mixed  with  a  solution  of 
magnesium  chloride  (MgCl,)  in  proper  proportions,  a  very  strong 
cement  is  produced,  known  as  oxj'chloride  or  Sorel  cement.  It  is 
applied  in  a  plastic  form,  which  sets  in  a  few  hours,  as  a  tough,  seamless 
surface.  It  has  also  a  very  strong  bonding  power,  and  will  hold  firmly 
to  wood,  metal,  or  concrete  as  a  base.  It  may  be  finished  with  a  very 
smooth,  even  surface,  which  will  take  a  good  wax  or  oil  polish.  As 
ordinarily  mixed  there  is  added  a  certain  proportion  of  wood  flour, 
cork,  asbestos,  or  other  filler,  thereby  adding  to  the  elastic  properties  of 
the  finished  product.  Its  surface  is  described  as  'warm'  and  'quiet' 
as  a  result  of  the  elastic  and  nonconducting  character  of  the  composite 
material.  The  cement  is  frequently  colored  hj  the  addition  of  some 
mineral  pigment  to  the  materials  before  mixing  as  cement. 

For  refractory  purposes  the  calcined  magnesite  is  largely  made  up 
into  bricks  similar  to  fire-brick  for  furnace  linings.     It  is  also  used 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  81 

unconsolidated,  as  'grain'  niagnesite.  For  such,  an  iron  content  is 
desirable,  as  it  allows  of  a  slight  sintering  in  forming  the  brick.  Dead- 
burned,  pure  magnesia  can  not  be  sintered  except  at  very  high  tempera- 
tures ;  and  it  has  little  or  no  plasticity,  so  that  it  is  hard  to  handle.  Its 
plasticity  is  said  to  be  improved  by  using  with  it  some  partly  calcined 
or  caustic  magnesite.  Heavy  pressure  will  bind  the  material  sufficiently 
to  allow  it  to  be  sintered. 

A  coating  of  crushed  magnesite  is  laid  on  hearths  used  for  heating 
steel  stock  for  rolling,  to  prevent  the  scale  formed  from  attacking  the 
fire-brick  of  the  hearth. 

Before  the  World  War,  practically  all  of  the  domestic  output  of 
caustic  magnesite  was  used  in  the  manufacture  of  pulp  and  paper.  For 
this  purpase  calcined  dolomite  is  now  used.  The  use  of  dolomite  instead 
of  magnesite  by  paper  manufacturers  began  during  the  war  when  the 
price  of  magnesite  was  very  high.  Dolomite  was  found  to  be  a  good 
substitute  for  magnesite  in  the  bisulphite  process  of  paper  making  and 
so  its  use  has  continued. 

Imports  and  Domestic  Production. 

Reports  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce 
show  imports  of  calcined  magnesite  to  have  been  172,591  long  tons  in 
1913;  144,717  in  1914,  and  63,347  in  1915;  most  of  it  coming  from 
Austria-Hungary  (now  under  Italy)  and  some  from  Greece,  that  from 
the  former  being  refractory  dead-burned  and  from  the  latter  caustic. 
For  the  same  years  the  production  of  crude  (from  2  to  2^  tons  of  crude 
ore  required  to  yield  one  ton  of  the  calcined)  magnesite  in  California 
(the  sole  producer  of  those  years,  in  the  United  States)  was :  9632  short* 
tons,  11,438  tons,  30,721  tons,  respectively.  For  1916  California's 
output  leaped  to  154,052  tons  of  crude  and  to  209,648  tons  in  1917,  but 
following  which  it  dropped  considerably  on  account  of  resumption  of 
foreign  importations,  which  totaled  52,483  long  tons  in  1921,  valued 
at  $776,384,  being  then  admitted  duty  free.  Shipments  from  Washing- 
ton were  begun  late  in  1916 ;  and  during  the  following  three  years 
assumed  important  proportions. 

[  The  Tariff  Act  of  1922,  which  became  effective  September  22d,  of 
i  that  year,  placed  the  following  import  duties  on  magnesite :  Crude 
magnesite  %6^  per  lb.,  caustic-calcined  magnesite  %^  per  lb. ;  dead- 
'  burned  and  grain  magnesite,  not  suitable  for  manufacture  into  oxy- 
I  chloride  cements,  -%o^  per  lb.;  magnesite  brick,  %^  per  lb.  and  10% 
{  ad  valorem.  The  figures  of  imports  for  1926  as  published  by  the  U.  S. 
'  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce,  show  a  total  of  92,546 
i  short  tons  of  calcined  ore,  valued  at  $1,465,509,  as  compared  with  69,117 

,  tons  and  $1,172,644  in  1925. 

I 

I  Total   Magnesite  Production  of  California. 

The  first  commercial  production  of  magnesite  in  California  was  made 
i  in  the  latter  part  of  1886  from  the  Cedar  Mountain  district,^  southeast 
lof  Livermore,  Alameda   County.      Shipments   amounting  to   'several 

^  See  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv. ;  Mineral  Resources  of  U.  S.,  1886,  pp.  G  and  696. 
6 — 55185 


82 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


tons '  or  '  several  carloads '  were  sent  by  rail  to  New  York ;  but  there  is 
apparently  no  exact  record  of  the  amount  for  that  first  year.  The 
statistical  records  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau  began  with  the  year 
1887,  and  the  table  herewith  shows  the  figures  for  amount  and  value, 
annually,  from  that  time.  Shipments  of  magnesite  from  Napa  County 
began  in  1891  from  the  Snowflake  Mine;  from  the  Red  Mountain 
deposits  in  Santa  Clara  Countv,  in  1899 ;  and  from  Tulare  County 
in  1900. 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887 

600 
600 
600 
600 
1,500 
1,500 
1,093 
1,440 
2.200 
1,500 
1,143 
1,263 
1,280 
2,252 
4,726 
2,830 
1,.361 
2,850 
3,933 
4,032 
6,405 
10,582 

?9,000 
9,000 
9,000 
9,000 
15,000 
15,000 
10,930 
10,240 
17,000 
11,000 
!  3.671 
19.075 
18,480 
19.333 
43.057 
20.655 
20.515 
9.298 
16.221 
40,320 
57,720 
80,822 

1909 

7,942 

16,570 

8,858 

10,512 

9,632 

11,438 

30,271 

154,052 

209,6)8 

83.974 

44,696 

83,695 

47,837 

55,637 

73,963 

07,236 

64.623 

50,915 

J62  588 

1888 

1910 

113,887 
67,430 

1889.. 

1911 

1890 

1912 

105  120 

1891. 

1913 

77  056 

1892 

1914 

114,380 

1893 

1915 

283  461 

1894 

1916 

1  311  893 

1895 

1917 

1,976,227 
803,492 

1896 

1918 

1897 

1919 

452  094 

1898 

1920 

1  0.33,491 

1899 

1921 

511,102 

1900.. 

1922 

594,665 

1901 

1923 

946,643 

1902.... 

1924.... 

900,183 

1903 

1925 

872  914 

1904 

1926 

587,6)2 

1905 

Totals 

1906.. 

1,086,239 

Sll  288,635 

1907 

1908.. 

MARBLE. 

Bihliograpliy :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII-XV  (inc.),  XVII- 
XXII  (inc.).    Bulletin  38.    U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Bull.  106.  | 

Marble  is  widely  distributed  in  California,  and  in  a  considerable 
variety  of  colors  and  grain.  The  1926  figures  show  a  slight  decrease  in 
quantity  and  increase  in  value  from  those  of  1925,  being  34,806  cu.  ft., 
worth  $119,999. 

California  has  many  beautiful  and  serviceable  varieties  of  marble, 
suitable  for  almost  any  conceivable  purpose  of  construction  or  decora- 
tion. In  the  decorative  class  are  deposits  of  onyx  marble  of  beautiful 
coloring  and  effects.  There  is  also  serpentine  marble  suitable  for  elec- 
trical switchboard  use. 


Marble  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Data  on  annual  production  since  1887,  as  compiled  by  the  State 
Mining  Bureau,  follows.  Previous  to  1894  no  records  of  amounts  were 
preserved. 


il 


STATISTICS   OP    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


83 


Year 

Cubic  feet 

Value 

Year 

Cubic  feet 

Value 

1887 

S5,000 

5,000 

87,030 

80,000 

100,000 

115,000 

40.000 

98,326 

56.566 

32,415 

7,280 

23,594 

10.550 

5,891 

4,630 

37,616 

97,354 

94,208 

129,450 
75.800 

118,066 

1908 

18,653 
79,600 
18,960 
20,201 
27,820 
41,654 
25,436 
22,186 
25,954 
24,755 

"17,428 
25,020 

1>29,531 
30,232 
38,321 
28,015 

b61,579 
35,664 
34,806 

?47.665 

1888 

1909 

1910 

238,400 

1889 

50  200 

1890- 

1911 

1912 

54,103 

1891 

74,120 

1892 

1913 

1914 

113,282 

1893 

48,832 

1894 

38,441 

14,864 

7,889 

4,102 

8,050 

9,682 

4,103 

2,945 

19,305 

84.624 

55,401 

73,303 

31,400 

37,512 

1915 

41,518 

1895 

1916 

1917 

50  280 

1896 

62,950 

1897 

1918 

49,898 

1898 

1919 

74,482 

1899 

1920 

92,899 

1900 

1921 

98  395 

1901 

1922  . 

127,792 

1902 _..- 

1923 

124,919 

1903 

1924 

140,253 

1904 

1925 

116,105 

1905 

1926 

119,999 

1906 

1907 

Total  value 

S2,949,868 

"Includes  onyx  and  serpentine. 
^Incudes  onyx. 


ONYX    and    TRAVERTINE. 


Bihliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII-XV  (inc.),  XVII, 
XVIII.    Bulletin  38. 

Onyx  and  travertine  are  known  to  exist  in  a  number  of  places  in 
California,  but  there  has  been  only  a  small  and  irregular  production 
since  the  year  1896.  In  1926  there  were  shipments  from  Solano,  River- 
side, and  Mono  counties  totaling  15,090  cu.  ft.,  valued  at  $7,575.  The 
Solano  County  material  was  mainly  used  for  terrazzo. 

Onyx  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Production  by  years  has  been  as  follows : 


Year 

Value 

Year 

Value 

1887 

$900 

900 

900 

1,500 

2,400 

1,800 

27,000 

20,000 

12.000 

24,000 

1918 

« 

1888 

1919 

1889 

1920 

* 

1890 

1921 

1,294 
3,320 
2  510 

1891 

1922 

1892... 

1923 

1893 

1924 

*  ' 

1894 

1925 

16,120 

7,575 

1895 

1926 

1896 

Total  value 

8122,219 

*See  under  Marble. 


SANDSTONE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII-XV,  XVII,  XVIII, 
XXI.    Bulletin  38.    U.  S.  Bur.  of  M.,  Bull.  124. 

An  unlimited  amount  of  high-grade  sandstone  is  available  in  Cali- 
fornia, but  the  wide  use  of  concrete  in  buildings  of  every  character,  as 
well  as  the  popularity  of  a  lighter-colored  building  stone,  has  curtailed 
production  in  this  branch  of  the  mineral  industry  during  recent  years 
almost  to  the  vanishing  point.  In  1926  a  total  of  34,100  cu.  ft.,  valued 
at  $17,500,  was  quarried  in  four  counties,  Colusa,  Los  Angeles,  Monte- 


84 


MINERAL    INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


rey,  and  Siskiyou;  compared  with  14,704  cu.  ft.  and  $14,362  in  1925. 
The  material  reported  from  Monterey  County  is  in  reality  an  indurated 
shale  of  the  Monterey  series,  of  a  cream-color  and  utilized  as  a  building- 
stone. 


Sandstone  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Amount  and  value,  so  far  as  contained  in  the  records  of  this  Bureau, 
are  presented  herewith,  with  total  value  from  1887    to  date : 


Year 

Cubic  feet 

\'alue 

Year 

Cubic  feet 

Value 

1887 

J  175,000 

150,000 

175,598 

100,000 

100,000 

50,000 

26,314 

113,592 

35,373 

28,379 

24,086 

46,384 

103.381 

254.140 

192.132 

142.506 

585.309 

567.181 

483.268 

164,068 

148,148 

1908 

93,301 

79,240 

165.971 

255,313 

66,487 

62,227 

111,691 

63,350 

17,270 

31,090 

900 

5,400 

10,500 

10,150 

900 

7.000 

6.700 

14,704 

34,100 

$55  151 

1888 

1909 

37  032 

1889- 

1910 

80,44:', 
127  314 

1890 

1911 

1891 

1912     - 

22  574 

1892 

1913 

27  870 

1893... 

1914 

45  322 

1894 

1915 

8,438 
10  271 

1895 

1916... 

1896 

1917 

7,074 

1897...  

1918 

400 

1898 

1919 

3,720 

1899 

56,264 
378,468 
266.741 
212.123 
353,002 
363,487 
302,813 
182,076 
159,573 

1920 

1921 

1922. 

2,300 

1900.-- 

2  112 

1901... -  .. 

1,100 

1902 

1923 

13,000 

1903- _ 

1924 

3,600 

1904-     

1925.. 

14,362 

1905 

1926 

Total  value 

1 7,500 

IQOR 

1907.                     .' 

J4,144  445 

SERPENTINE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Report  XV.    Bulletin  38. 

Serpentine  has  not  been  produced  in  California  to  a  very  large  extent 
at  any  time.  A  single  deposit,  that  on  Santa  Catalina  Island,  has 
yielded  the  principal  output  to  date.  Some  material  was  shipped  from 
there  in  1917  and  1918,  being  the  only  output  recorded  since  1907.  It 
was  used  for  decorative  building  purposes  and  for  electrical  switch- 
boards. As  there  was  but  a  single  operator,  the  figures  were  combined 
with  those  of  marble  output  for  those  years. 


Serpentine  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  following  table  shows  the  amount  and  value  of  serpentine  from 
1895  as  recorded  by  this  Bureau : 


Year 

Cubic  feet 

Value 

Year 

Cubic  feet 

Value 

1895-- 

4,000 

1,500 

2,500 

750 

500 

.350 

89 

512 

99 

$4,000 
6,000 
2,500 
3,000 
2,000 
2,000 

890 
5,065 

800 

1904... 

200 

S2,310 

1896 

1905 

1897 

1906 

847 
1,000 

a 
h 

1,694 

1898 

1907-. 

3  000 

1899 

1917 

a 

1900 

1918 

b 

1901 

1919 •. 

1902 

Totals 

1903 

12,347 

S33,259 

"Under  'Unapportioned.' 
b  See  under  Marble. 


STATISTICS    OP   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  85 

SLATE. 

Bihliognipliy:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XV,  XVIII.  Bulletin  38. 
U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bull.  586.    U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Bull.  218. 

Slate  was  first  produced  in  California  in  1889.  Up  to  and  including 
1910  such  production  was  continuous,  but  since  then  it  has  been  irregu- 
lar. Large  deposits  of  excellent  quality  are  known  in  the  state,  espe- 
cially in  El  Dorado,  Calaveras  and  Mariposa  counties,  but  the  demand 
has  been  light  owing  principally  to  competition  of  cheaper  roofing 
materials. 

'Slate'  is  a  term  applied  to  a  fine-grained  rock  that  has  a  more  or 
less  perfect  cleavage,  permitting  it  to  be  readily  split  into  thin,  smooth 
sheets.  Varieties  differ  widely  in  color  and  have  a  considerable  range 
in  chemical  and  mineralogical  composition.  Excepting  certain  rare 
slates  of  igneous  origin  (of  which  the  green  slate  of  the  Eureka  quarry, 
El  Dorado  County,  California,  is  an  example)  formed  from  volcanic 
ash  or  igneous  dikes,  slates  have  originated  from  sedimentary  deposits 
consisting  largely  of  clay.  By  consolidation,  and  the  pressure  of  super- 
imposed materials,  clays  become  bedded  deposits  of  shale.  By  further 
consolidation  under  intense  pressure  and  high  temperature  incident  to 
mountain-building  forces,  shales  are  metamorphosed  to  slates.  The 
principal  mineral  constituents  are  mica,  quartz,  and  chlorite,  with 
smaller  varying  amounts  of  hematite,  rutile,  kaolin,  graphite,  feldspar, 
tourmaline,  calcite,  and  others. 

The  color  of  slate  is  of  e'conomic  importance.  The  common  colors  are 
gray,  bluish  gray,  and  black,  though  reds  and  various  shades  of  green 
are  occasionally  found. 

The  permanency  of  slate  for  roofing  is  well  known.  It  is  stated  that 
there  are  slate  roofs  in  Pennsylvania  and   Maryland  over  100  years  old. 

'  "In  England  and  Wales,  and  in  France,  many  iDuildings  constructed  in  the  15th 
and  16th  centuries  were  roofed  with  slate,  and  the  roofs  are  still  in  excellent  condi- 
tion. There  is  a  record  of  a  chapel  in  Bedford-on-Avon  in  Wiltshire,  England,  roofed 
with  slate  in  the  8th  century,  and  after  1200  years  of  climatic  exposure  is  moss- 
covered  but  in  good  condition." 

Contrary  to  the  general  impression,  however,  the  major  portion  of 
the  slate  produced  in  the  United  States  is  used  on  the  inside  rather  than 
the  outside  of  buildings.  Its  interior  uses  include  stationary  washtubs, 
electrical  switchboards,  and  blackboards. 

A  square  of  roofing  slate  is  a  sufficient  number  of  pieces  of  any  size 
to  cover  100  square  feet  of  roof,  with  allowance  generally  for  a  three- 
inch  lap.  The  sizes  of  the  pieces  of  slate  making  up  a  square  range 
from  7x9  inches  to  16  x  24  inches,  and  the  number  of  pieces  in  a 
square  ranges  from  85  to  686.  The  Ferry  Building,  San  Francisco,  is 
roofed  with  Eureka  slate  from  El  Dorado  County. 

In  California,  there  were  shipments  in  1926  totaling  $7,371  in  value, 
including  shingles,  flagging,  and  crushed  material  for  roofing  granules, 
from  El  Dorado  and  Riverside  counties.  The  Riverside  product  was 
split  to  1^-2^  in.  thickness  for  flagging. 

^  Bowles,  O.,  Slate  as  a  permanent  roofing  material :  U.  S.  Bur.  of  M.,  Reports  of 
Investigations,  Serial  No.  2267,  .July,  1921,  p.   4. 


86  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Total  Production  of  Slate  in  California. 

A  complete  record  of  amount  and  value  of  slate  produced  in  Cali- 
fornia follows : 


Year 

Squares 

Value 

Year 

Squares 

Value 

1889     : 

4,500 

4,000 

4,000 

3,500 

3,000 

1,800 

1,350 

500 

400 

400 

810 

3,500 

5,100 

4,000 

10.000 

6.000 

$18,089 

24,000 

24,000 

21,000 

21,000 

11,700 

9,450 

2,500 

2,800 

2,800 

5,900 

26,250 

38,250 

30.000 

70.000 

50,000 

1905 

4,000 
10,000 
7,000 
6,000 
6,961 
1,000 

$40,000 

1890 

1906  

100,000 

1891                  .  . 

1907 

60,000 

1892           

1908 -. --- 

60,000 

1893 

1909    

45,660 

1894                

1910 

8,000 

1895 

1911      

1896 

1915 

1,000 

5.000 

1897 

1916 

1898           

1920.... 

8 

80 

1899 

1921   

1900 

1922 

* 

♦ 

1901 

1923 

1902 

1926 

7,371 

iqn"? 

Total  value.. 

1904 

J683,850 

♦Concealed  under  'Unapportiored.' 


MISCELLANEOUS   STONE. 

BiUiography:  State  Mineralo<2:ist  Report,s  XII-XXIII  (inc.).   Bul- 
letin 38 ;  also  annual  statistical  bulletins  from  1915  to  date. 

'Miscellaneous  stone'  is  the  name  used  throughout  this  report  as  the 
title  for  that  branch  of  the  mineral  industry  covering  crushed  rock  of 
all  kinds,  paving  blocks,  sand  and  gravel,  and  pebbles  for  grinding 
mills.  The  foregoing  are  very  closely  related  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  producer;  therefore  it  has  been  found  to  be  most  satisfactory  to 
group  these  items  as  has  been  done  in  recent  reports  of  this  Bureau. 
So  far  as  it  has  been  possible  to  do  so,  crushed  rock  production  has 
been  subdivided  into  the  various  uses  to  which  the  product  was  put.  It 
will  be  noted,  however,  a  very  large  percentage  of  the  output  has  been 
tabulated  under  the  heading  'Unclassified.'  This  is  necessary  because 
of  the  fact  that  many  of  the  producers  have  no  way  of  telling  to  what 
specific  use  their  rock  was  put  (or  at  least  the  proportions  to  each  use) 
after  they  have  quarried  and  sold  the  same  to  distributors  and  con- 
tractors. 

In  addition  to  amounts  produced  by  commercial  firms,  both  corpo- 
rations and  individuals,  there  is  hardly  a  county  in  the  state  but  uses 
more  or  less  gravel  and  broken  rock  on  its  roads.  Of  much  of  this, 
particularly  in  the  country  districts,  there  is  no  definite  record  kept. 

For  the  year  1926,  crushed  rock  registered  gains  both  in  tonnage  and 
value  over  the  preceding  year ;  as  did  also  sand  and  gravel.  The  result 
was  a  total  value  of  $19,859,873  as  compared  with  $17,409,854  in  1925. 
Continuance  of  general  building  work  and  highway  paving  are  in  part 
responsible  as  well  as  hydro-electric  power-plant  installations  and 
harbor  protection  (breakwater  and  jetty  construction). 

As  for  some  years  past,  Los  Angeles  County  led  all  others  by  a  wide 
margin  with  an  output  valued  at  $7,472,884  (compared  with  $6,978,605 
in  1925);  followed  by  Alameda,  second,  with  $1,642,618;  Riverside, 
third,  $1,180,278 ;  Nevada,  fourth,  $850,000 ;  Contra  Costa,  fifth,  $766,- 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


87 


921 ;  Humboldt,  sixth,  $700,736 ;  San  Diego,  seventh,  $529,640 ;  Santa 
Clara,  eighth,  $478,231 ;  followed  in  turn  by  Sacramento,  Marin,  San 
Bernardino,  Fresno,  Ventura,  San  Benito,  Siskiyou,  Orange,  Imperial, 
Stanislaus,  Monterey,  in  the  order  named,  each  with  a  total  between  a 
half-  and  a  quarter-million  dollars  value. 

Paving    Blocks. 

The  paving  block  industry  has  decreased  materially  of  recent  years, 
practically  to  the  vanishing  point,  because  of  the  increased  construction 
of  smoother  pavements  demanded  by  motor-vehicle  traffic.  The  blocks 
made  in  Solano  County  were  of  basalt ;  those  from  Sonoma  are  of  basalt, 
andesite,  and  some  trachyte,  while  those  from  Placer,  Riverside,  San 
Bernardino,  and  San  Diego  are  of  granite. 

There  was  no  production  in  1926. 

The  amount  and  value  of  paving  block  production  annually  since 
1887  has  been  as  follows : 


Year 

Amount 

M 

Value 

Year 

Amount 

M 

Value 

1887 

*10,000 
10,500 
7,303 
7,000 
5,000 
*3,000 
2,770 
2,517 
2,332 
4,161 
.   1,711 
1,144 
305 
1,192 
1,920 
3,502 
4,854 
3,977 
3,408 
4,203 
4,604 

$350,000 

367.500 

297,236 

245,000 

150,000 

96,000 

96,950 

66,981 

73,338 

77,584 

35,235 

21,725 

7,861 

23,775 

41,075 

112,437 

134,642 

161,752 

134,347 

173,432 

199,347 

1908 

7.660 

4,503 

4,434 

4,141 

11.018 

6,364 

6,053 

3,285 

1,322 

938 

372 

27 

63 

4 

72 

15 

11 

27 

$334,780 

1888 

1909 

199,803 

1889 

1910 

198,916 

1890 

1911 

210,819 

1891 

1912 

578,355 

1892 

1913    --  

363,505 

1893 

1914 

270,598 

1894 

1915 

171,092 

1895 

1916 ' 

.54,362 

1896 

1917 

38,567 

1897 

1918 

17,000 

1898 

1919_.. 

1,350 

1899 

1920 

3,155 

1900 

1921 -■.. 

280 

1901 

1922 

3,924 

1902 

1923 

880 

1903 

1924 

935 

1904 

1925 

1,350 

1905 

1926             

1906 

Totals           

135,702 

1907 

55,315,888 

•Figures  for  1887-1892  (inc.)  are  for  Sonoma  County  only,  as  none  are  available  for  other  counties  during  that  period 
though  Solano  County  quarries  were  then  also  quite  active. 


Grinding    Mill    Pebbles. 

Production  of  pebbles  for  tube  and  grinding  mills  began  commer- 
cially in  California  in  1915.  Owing  to  the  decreased  imports  and 
higher  prices  of  Belgium  and  other  European  flint  pebbles,  due  to  the 
war,  there  was  a  serious  inquiry  for  domestic  sources  of  supply.  In 
1916  and  1917  shipments  totaled  in  excess  of  20,000  tons  per  year ;  but 
they  have  since  dropped  to  an  insignificant  figure.  San  Diego  County 
has  been  the  principal  contributor,  with  some  also  from  Fresno  and 
Sacramento.  Shipments  have  been  made  to  metallurgical  plants  in 
California,  Nevada,  Montana  and  Utah. 

Imports  in  1926  amounted  to  13,474  long  tons,  valued  at  $120,078 
compared  with  14,500  long  tons  and  $105,041  in  1925. 

Californian  output  for  1926  was  102  tons,  valued  at  $612,  a  decrease 
from  the  1925  figures. 


88 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


The  amount  and  value  of  grinding  mill  pebbles,  annually,  follows : 

Year                                                                                                                         Tons  Value 

1915  340  $2,810 

1916  20,232  107,567 

1917  21,450  90,538 

1918  8,628  61,268 

1919  2,607  19,272 

1920  2,104  17,988 

1921  247  1,418 

1922  ^ 1,571  7,628 

1923  2,650  14,936 

1924  ; 434  2,969 

1925  215  1,385 

1926  102  612 

Totals  60,580  $258,391 


f 


Sand  and  Gravel 


A  considerable  part  of  tlie  gravel  excavated  is  passed  through  grading 
and  washing  plants,  and  the  material  OA'er  2  inches  in  size  is  crushed. 


^■Y^. 


E.  B.  &  A.  L.  Stone  Company's  sand  pit,  near  Antioch,  Contra  Costa  County. 

Photo  by  C   McK.    Laizure. 


Much  of  it  is  utilized  in  concrete  mixtures.  Most  of  the  gravel  used  for 
road  surfacing  and  repairs  as  well  as  that  for  railroad  ballast  is  creek- 
run  or  pit-run  material  w^hich  is  spread  upon  the  roads  without  under- 
going any  grading  or  washing. 

The  distribution  of  the  1926  output  of  sand  and  gravel,  by  counties, 
is  given  in  the  following  table  : 

County  Tons  Value 

Alameda »  1,702,771  $1,245,607 

Amador     14,000  12,400 

Butte   . 122,333  52,550 

Calaveras 4,000  1,500 

Colusa 100,222  75,167 

Contra  Costa »  170,413  94,084 

Del  Norte 42,833  37,100 

El   Dorado   380  260 

Fresno     240,959  149,753 

Glenn     167,048  58,391 

•>  Includes  molding  sand. 


92,243 

238,235 

28,000 

18,995 

4,504,602 

9,500 

150,196 

36,450 

236.244 

19,270 

66,500 

248,767 

11,218 

257,879 

9,460 

146,735 

478,428 

60,887 

129,037 

11,857 

35,009 

342,811 

18,175 

44,545 

52.569 

113,997 

226,201 

39.831 

265,711 

133,298 

110,855 

$9,864,317 

mi.scellanous 

STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  89 

Humboldt   177,278 

Imperial    287,216 

Kern    65,450 

Lassen     19,412 

Los  Angeles 6,830,507 

Mariposa    12,666 

Merced    316.102 

Modoc    20,275 

Monterey <=  274,296 

Napa    19,720 

Nevada   36,360 

Orange    o  305,159 

Riverside _  ^«  3,723 

Sacramento a*  470,725 

San    Benito    51,055 

San   Bernardino    186,914 

San  Diego ^  689.601 

San  Francisco *  54,597 

San    Joaquin 221,338 

San  Mateo   15,180 

Santa   Barbara 55,453 

Santa    Clara    448,594 

Santa  Cruz ^  23,666 

Shasta     71,239 

Siskiyou    *  350,957 

Sonoma 256,544 

Stanislaus    316,344 

Tulare     52,955 

Ventura  " 291,821 

Yuba    214,700 

Alpine,   Lake,    Madera,   Marin,    Mendocino,    Mono,''   Placer, 
San  Luis   Obispo,"   Sierra,   Tehama,   Trinity,    Tuolumne, 

Yolo*     164,419 

Totals 14,869,225 

•>  Includes  molding  sand. 
^  Includes  white  building  sand. 

t^  Includes  molding    (core),  building,  stucco,  glass.   Alter,  roofing,  and 
sand,  mainly  washed. 

d  Includes  special  plaster  sand. 

«  Includes  stucco  sand. 

'  Includes  volcanic  cinders    (ash)   used  for  railroad  ballast. 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

Included  in  the  above  is  a  total  of  46,601  tons  of  molding  sand,  valued 
at  $105,336  f.o.b.  pit,  from  two  operators  each  in  Alameda  and  San 
Diego  counties,  and  one  each  in  Contra  Costa,  Monterey,  Riverside, 
Sacramento,  San  Francisco,  San  Luis  Obispo,  Santa  Cruz,  and  Ventura. 
This  item  is  each  year  assuming  a  more  important  position  in  the  com- 
mercial mineral  list  of  California.  The  1925  figures  totaled  45,964  tons 
and  $76,974. 

Crushed    Rock. 

To  list  the  kinds  and  varieties  of  rock  utilized  commercially  under 
this  heading  would  be  to  run  almost  the  entire  gamut  of  the  classifica- 
tion scale.  Much  depends  on  the  kind  available  in  a  given  district. 
Those  which  give  the  most  satisfactory  service  are  the  basalts  and  other 
hard,  dense,  igneous  rocks  which  break  with  sharp,  clean  edges.  In 
many  localities,  river-wash  boulders  form  an  important  source  of  such 
material.  In  such  cases,  combined  crushing  and  washing  plants  obtain 
varying  amounts  of  sand  and  gravel  along  with  the  crushed  sizes.  In 
Sacramento  and  Butte  counties  the  tailings  piles  from  the  gold  dredgers 
are  the  basis  of  like  operations. 

The  values  given  are  based  on  the  selling  prices,  f.o.b.  cars,  barges, 
or  trucks,  at  the  quarry. 


90 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OP    CALIFORNIA. 


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STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


91 


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92 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Miscellaneous  Stone  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  amount  and  value,  annually,  of  crushed  rock  (including 
macadam,  ballast,  rubble,  riprap,  and  that  for  concrete),  and  sand  and 
gravel,  since  1893,  follow: 


Crushed  Rock,  Sand  and  Gravel,  by  Years. 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Vala( 

1893 

371,100 

661,900 

1,254,688 

960,619 

821,123 

1,177,365 

964,898 

789,287 

530,396 

2,056,015 

2.215,625 

2,296,898 

2.621,257 

1,555,372 

2,288,888 

3,998,945 

5,531,561 

5,827,828 

$456,075 

664,838 

1.095,939 

839,884 

600,112 

814,477 

786,892 

561,642 

641,037 

1,249,529 

1,673,591 

1,641,877 

1,716,770 

1,418,406 

1.915,015 

3.241,774 

2.708,326 

2,777,690 

1911 

6,487,223 

8,044,937 

9,817,616 

9.288,.397 

10,879,497 

9,951,089 

8,069,271 

6,641,144 

6,919,188 

9,792,122 

10,914,145 

13,049,644 

19,840,301 

21,451,129 

23,819,137 

24,987,606 

$3,610,357 

1894                

1912 

4,532,598 

1895        

19)3., 

4,823  056 

1896 

1914 

3,960,973 

1897                

1915 -. 

4,609,278 

1898 

1916 

4,009,590 

1899 

1917 _ 

3,505,662 

1900 

1918.... 

3,325,889 

IQOl 

1919 

3,678,322 

1902 

1920 

6.782,414 

1903                            

1921.... 

7,834,640 

1904 

1922 

1923. 

1924 

10.366,231 

1905    

15,379.838 

1906                        

15,962,476 

1907                   

1925 

17,407,113 

1908        -.- 

1926 

19,859,261 

1QAQ 

Totals 

1910 

215,879,211 

S154,451,572 

A  comparison  of  the  above  table  of  annual  production  of  these  mate- 
rials with  the  similar  table  for  cement  (see  ante),  reveals  the  fact  that 
the  important  growth  of  tlie  crushed  rock  and  gravel  business  has  been 
coincident  with  the  rapid  development  of  the  cement  industry  from  the 
year  1902.    See  also  the  chart,  under  cement. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


93 


CHAPTER  FIVE. 

INDUSTRIAL  MATERIALS. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Keports  XII-XXIII  (inc.)-  Bul- 
letin 38.  Min.  &  Sci.  Press,  Vol.  114,  March  10,  1917.  Spiirr 
and  Wormser,  "Marketing  of  Metals  and  Minerals."  "Non- 
Metallic  Minerals,"  by  R.  B.  Ladoo.  See  also  under  each 
substance. 

The  following  mineral  substances  have  been  arbitrarily  arranged 
under  the  general  heading  of  'Industrial  Materials,'  as  distinguished 
from  tho.se  which  have  a  clearly-defined  classification,  such  as  metals, 
salines,  structural  materials,  etc. 

These  materials,  many  of  which  are  mineral  earths,  are,  with  four  or 
five  exceptions,  as  yet  produced  on  a  comparatively  small  scale.  The 
possibilities  of  development  along  several  of  these  lines  are  large,  and 
with  increasing  transportation  and  other  facilities,  together  with  stead- 
ily growing  demands,  the  future  for  this  branch  of  the  mineral  industry 
in  California  is  promising.  There  is  scarcely  a  county  in  the  state  but 
might  contribute  to  the  output. 

Up  to  within  the  last  few  years,  at  least,  production  has  been  in  the 
majority  of  instances  dependent  upon  more  or  less  of  a  strictly  local 
market,  and  the  annual  tables  show  the  results  of  such  a  condition,  not 
only  in  the  widely-varying  amounts  of  a  certain  material  produced  from 
year  to  year,  but  in  widely-varying  prices  of  the  same  material. 

The  more  important  of  these  minerals  thus  far  exploited,  so  far  as 
shown  by  value  of  the  output,  are  limestone,  mineral  water,  pyrites, 
pottery  clays,  diatomaceous  earth,  gypsum,  talc,  dolomite,  fuller's 
earth. 

This  group  as  a  whole  showed  a  decrease  in  the  total  value  to  $4,675,- 
924  in  1926  from  $5,379,064  for  1925. 

The  following  table  gives  the  comparative  figures  for  the  amounts 
and  value  of  industrial  minerals  produced  in  California  during  the 
years  1925  and  1926  : 


1                        Substance 

1925 

1926 

Increases- 
Decrease — 

Amount 

Valuj 

Amount 

Value 

Value 

Barvtes .   __ 

4,978  tons 

797,461  tons 

68,640  tons 

7,300  tons 
23,552  tons 

$38,165 

806,509 

119,313 

56,400 

250,192 

9,049 

211,337 

367,501 

5,846 

1,171,550 

48,350 

466.088 

104,317 

255,645 

b765.662 

$38,165-1- 

Clay  (potterv) _     _.. 

537,587  tons 

42.850  tons 

8,165  tons 

5,280  tons 

8674,376 

104,900 

59,615 

91,842 

10,663 

172,444 

494,525 

6.969 

1,230,455 

32,937 

528,550 

96,780 

239.084 

^1,635,924 

132.133+ 

Dolomite. 

14,413+ 

Feldspar 

3,215— 

Fuller's  earth  . 

158,350+ 

'  Gems 

1,614— 

Gypsum... 

107,613  tons 

319,977  tons 

669  tons 

12,115.072  gals. 

5.319  tons 

129,500  tons 

12,498  tons 

15,465  tons 

114,868  tons 

108,795  tons 

569  tons 

14,074,877  gals. 

7,170  tons 

100,896  tons 

30,010  tons 

17,004  tons 

38,893+ 

'  Limestone 

j  Mineral  paint 

127,024— 
1,123— 

j  Mineral  water 

58,905— 

Pumice  and  volcanic  ash 

Pyrites 

15.413+ 
62,462— 

I  Silica  (sand  and  quartz). 

7,537+ 

1  Soapstone  and  talc  .   . 

16.561  + 

1  Unapportioned ^.- 

870,262— 

1         Total  values     

55,379,064 

$4,675,924 

)                Net  decrease 

5703,140 

1  . 

*  Includes  asbestos,  diatomaceous  earth,  graphite,  shale  oil,  sillimanite-andalusite. 

*>  Includes  asbestos,  diatomaceous  earth,  lithia,  shale  oil,silliinanite-andalusite-cyanite  group. 


94 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


ASBESTOS. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII-XIX  (inc.),  XXII, 
Bulletins  38,  91.  Canadian  Dept.  of  M.,  Mines  Branch  Bulletin 
69.  Min.  &  Sci.  Press,  April  10,  1920,  pp.  531-533.  Eng.  &  Min. 
Jour.-Press,  Vol.  113,  pp.  617-625,  670-677.  Asbestology,  Vol. 
5,  No.  7,  July,  1927. 

In  1926  there  was  a  small  tonnage  of  crude  asbestos  ore  and  fibre 
produced  in  California,  but  as  there  was  only  a  single  operator,  the 
figures  are  concealed  under  the  'Unapportioned'  item. 

The  future  of  asbestos  mining  in  California  is  dependent  largely 
upon  the  development  of  uses  in  quantity  for  the  short-fibre  mill 
grades,  and  for  the  amphibole  variety.  There  are  apparently  large 
resources  of  such  material  that  can  be  made  available.  Some  spinning- 
grade  fibre  has  also  been  found  in  this  state,  notably  in  Nevada,  Cala- 
veras, and  Monterey  counties,  but  the  commercial  yield  to  date  has  been 
small.  There  are  extensive  serpentine  areas  in  the  Coast  Ranges,  in 
the  Klamath  Mountains,  and  in  several  sections  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
which  are  within  the  range  of  possible  asbestos  producers,  as 
ehrysotile  is  a  fibrous  form  of  serpentine.  These  localities  all  yielded 
chromite  in  greater  or  less  amounts  during  the  World  War  period. 

Three-quarters  of  the  world's  supply  of  asbestos  was  for  many  years 
produced  by  Canada. 

At  present,  Rhodesia  furnishes  60  per  cent  of  the  long  fibre,  though 
Canada  in  addition  to  its  long  fibre  still  accounts  for  practically  the 
entire  output  of  lower  grades. 

Asbestos  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Total  amount  and  value  of  asbestos  production  in  California  since 
1887,  as  given  in  the  records  of  this  Bureau,  are  as  follows  :  1 


Year 

Tons 

VaLie 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887.. 

30 
30 
30 
71 
66 
30 
50 
50 
25 

$1,800 
1,800 
1,800 
4,260 
3,960 
1,830 
2,500 
2,250 
1,000 

1908 

70 

65 

200 

125 

90 

47 

51 

143 

145 

136 

229, 

131 

410 
50 
20 
70 

25 

$6,100 
6  500 

1888 

1909 

1910 

1911  ... 

1889 

20,000 
500 

1890 

1891 

1912 

2,700 

1892.... 

1913 

1,175 

1893 

1914 .   

1,530 

1894 

1915 

2,860 

1895 

1916 

2,380 

1896_. 

1917 

10,225 

1897   

1918 

9,903 

1898 

10 

30 

50 

110 

200 

750 

1,250 

4,400 

1919U 

6,240 

1899 

1920/ " 

1921        -. 

1900    

19,275 

1901 

1922 

1,800 

1002 

1923 

200 

1903 

1924 

4,750 

1904 

10 

112 

70 

70 

162 
2.625 
3,500 
3,500 

1925U 

1,650 

1905      

1926/  "' 

Totals  .. 

IQdfi 

1907 

2,851 

$135,375 

'Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 

BARYTES. 


Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII,  XIV,  XV,  XVII, 
XXI.  Bulletin  38.  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  114,  p.  109, 
July  15,  1922 ;  Vol.  115,  pp.  319-324,  Feb.  17,  1923. 

Commercial    .shipments    of    crude    barytes    in    California    in    1926 


STATISTICS   OP   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


95 


amounted  to  a  total  of  4978  tons,  valued  at  $38,165  f.o.b.  rail-shipping 
point,  coming  from  properties  in  Nevada  and  Mariposa  counties.  The 
material  was  consumed  principally  in  the  manufacture  of  lithopone. 
The  new  plant  of  the  Chemical  and  Pigments  Company  at  Oakland, 
Alameda  County,  with  a  capacity  for  25  tons  of  lithopone  daily,  began 
operations  during  the  year.  This  plant  will  thus  afiford  an  outlet  for 
some  of  California 's  zinc  ore  as  well  as  for  barytes. 

More  than  half  of  the  total  tonnage  of  bar}i;es  utilized  in  the  United 
States  is  taken  in  the  manufacture  of  lithopone,  which  is  a  chemically- 
prepared  white  pigment  containing  approximately  70%  barium  sulphate 
and  30%  zinc  sulphide.  This  is  one  of  the  principal  constituents  of 
'flat'  wall  paints.  Other  important  uses  for  barytes,  after  washing  and 
grinding,  are  as  an  inert  pigment  and  filler  in  paint,  paper,  linoleums, 
oilcloth  and  rubber  manufacture,  and  in  the  preparation  of  a  number 
of  chemicals  including  barium  binoxide,  carbonate,  chloride,  nitrate, 
and  the  sulphate  precipitated,  or  'blanc  fixe.' 

Present  quotations  for  barytes  vary  from  $7  to  $9  per  ton,  crude, 
f.o.b.  rail-shipping  point,  depending  on  quality.  Most  baryte  has  to  be 
washed  and  acid  treated  to  remove  iron  stains  or  other  impurities  before 
being  suitable  for  paint  use. 

Known  occurrences  of  this  mineral  in  California  are  located  in  Inyo, 
Los  Angeles,  Mariposa,  Monterey,  Nevada,  San  Bernardino,  Shasta  and 
Santa  Barbara  counties.  The  deposit  at  El  Portal,  in  Mariposa  County, 
has  given  the  largest  commercial  production  to  date,  in  part  witherite 
(barium  carbonate,  BaCOJ.  Witherite  has  also  been  found  in  Shasta 
County,  but  no  shipments  have  yet  been  made  from  the  deposit. 


Total   Barytes  Production  of  California. 

The  first  recorded  production  of  barytes  in  California,  according  to 
the  statistical  reports  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau,  was  in  1910.     The 


annual  figures  are  as  follows : 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1910 

860 

309 

564 

1,600 

2,000 

410 

1,606 

4,420 

100 

1.501 

S5,640 
2,207 
2,812 
3,680 
3,000 
620 
5,516 

25,633 
1,500 

18,065 

1920 

1921 

1922 

3,029 

901 

3,370 

2,925 

120,795 

1911 

4,809 

1912 

18,925 

1913. 

1923 

16,058 

1914 

1924 »  -     .     _ 

1915 

1925 

1916 

1926 

Totals 

4,978 

38,165 

1917 

1918 

28,573 

$167,425 

1919.  . 

CLAY    (Pottery). 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  I,  IV,  IX,  XII-XV, 
XVIII-XXIII  (inc.).  Bulletin  38.  Preliminary  Report  No.  7. 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Standards,  Tech.  Paper  No.  262. 

At  one  time  or  another  in  the  history  of  the  state,  pottery  clay  has 
been  mined  in  thirty-three  of  its  counties.  Of  these,  20  contributed  in 
1926.  In  this  report,  '])ottery  clay'  refers  to  all  clays  used  in  tlie  manu- 
facture of  red  and  brown  earthenware,  china  and  sanitary  ware,  flower- 
pots, floor,  faience  and  ornamental  tiling,  architectural  terra  cotta, 


96 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


sewer  pipe,  drain  and  roof  tile,  etc.,  and  the  figures  for  amount  and 
value  are  relative  to  the  crude  material  at  the  pit,  without  reference 
to  whether  the  clay  was  sold  in  the  crude  form  or  was  immediately  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  any  of  the  above  finished  products  by  the  pro- 
ducer. It  does  not  include  clay  used  in  making  brick  and  hollow 
building  blocks. 

There  are  many  other  important  uses  for  clays  besides  pottery  manu- 
facture. Among  these  may  be  enumerated  paper,  cotton  goods,  and 
chemicals.  Being  neutral,  clay  does  not  have  an  injurious  effect  upon 
other  constituents  used  in  the  manufacture  of  such  articles.  In  paper 
making,  clay  is  used  as  a  filler  in  news  and  similar  grades,  and  as  a 
coater  or  glazer  in  the  more  highl.y -finished  art  papers.  A  large  part 
of  the  china  clay  used  in  the  United  States  is  imported  from  England. 
Clays  of  the  montmorillonite  and  halloysite  group  ('rock  soap')  are 
being  utilized  successfully  in  the  manufacture  of  soaps. 


Harvey  clay  pit  of  Pacific  Portland  Cement  Company,  near  Carbondale,  Amador 

County.     Photo  by  C.  A.  Logan. 

During  1926,  a  total  gf  65  producers  in  20  counties  reported  an 
output  of  801,461  short  tons  of  pottery  clay,  having  a  total  value  oi' 
$806,509  f .o.b.  rail-shipping  point,  for  the  crude  material,  as  compared 
with  the  1925  production  of  537,587  tons  worth  $674,376. 

Because  of  the  fact  that  a  given  product  often  requires  a  mixture  of 
several  different  clays,  and  that  these  are  not  all  found  in  the  same 
pit,  it  is  necessary  for  most  clay-working  plants  to  buy  some  part  of 
their  raw  materials  from  other  localities.  For  these  reasons,  in  compil- 
ing the  clay  industry  figures,  much  care  is  required  to  avoid  duplica- 
tions. So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  segregate  the  figures,  from  the 
data  sent  in  by  the  operatives,  we  have  credited  the  clay  output  to  the 
counties  from  which  the  raw  material  originated ;  and  have  deducted 
tonnages  used  in  brick  manufacture,  as  bricks  are  classified  separately, 
herein. 

A  tabulation  of  the  direct  returns  from  the  producers,  by  counties, 
for  the  year  1926,  is  shown  herewith : 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 
Pottery  Clay,  in  1926. 


97 


County 


Tons 


Value 


Used  in  the  manufacture  of — 


Alameda 

Amador ._ 

Contra  Costa 

Los  Angeles 

Monterey 

Orange 

Placer.  __ 

Riverside 

Sacramento 

San  Bernardino 

San  Diego 

Santa  Barbara 

Ventura 

Butte,  Calaveras,  Humboldt 
Merced,  San  Luis  Obispo, 
Santa  Clara,  Sonoma  b  *.. 

Totals 


5.870 
97,768 

7,675 
^86,767 


491 
13,150 

104,250 


58,528 

1,548 
b2,268 

■:d30,187 

1,100 
=373,000 


18,859 


801,461 


•57,183 
135,767 

5,688 
99,076 


1,164 
38,989 

147,241 


178,383 

2,310 
10,605 
58,269 

1,700 
93,250 


26,884 


5806,509 


Drain,  faience,  floor,  quarry  and  roofing  tile,  sewer  pipe. 
Architectural  terra  cotta,  fire  clay  products,  chinmey  and  sewer 

pipe,  refractories,  drain,  floor  and  roofing  tile,  and  various. 
Architectural  terra  cotta,  sewer  pipe,  faience  and  drain  tile. 
Architectural  terracotta,  conduit,  red  earthenware,  refract'-rics, 

drain,  faience,  floor  and  roofing  tile,  crushed  brick  and  tile, 

chimney  and  sewer  pipe,  and  oil-well  mudding. 
Floor  and  roofing  tile. 
Conduit  pipe  and  stoneware,  refractories,  drain  and  roofing  tile, 

and  various. 
Architectural  terra  cotta,  chimney,  sewer  and  conduit  pipe,  drain. 

floor  and  roofing  tile,  sanitary  ware,  red  earthenware  and 

various. 
Conduit  and  sewer  pipe,  red  earthenware,  refractories,  roofing 

tile  and  various. 
Crushed  brick,  faience  tile  et  al. 
Porcelain. 
Therapeutic  clay,  sewer  pipe,  faience,  floor  and  roofing  tile,  and 

various. 
Drain,  floor  and  roofing  tile. 
Oil-well  drilling  mud. 


Earthenware,  procelain,  chimney  and  sewer  pipe,  drain  and 
roofing  tile. 


*Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

"  Includes  clay  and  shale  for  oil-well  drilling  mud. 

•>  Includes  kaolin. 

"=  Includes  'Cornwall'  stone. 

d  Includes  therapeutic  clay. 


Pottery   Clay   Products. 

The  values  of  the  various  pottery  clay  products  made  in  California 
during  1926  totaled  $14,625,203,  compared  with  $13,621,431  in  1925, 
their  distribution  being  shown  in  the  following  tabulation : 

Number  of 
Products  producers 

Architectural   terra   cotta 5 

Chimney  pipe,  terra  cotta  and  flue  lining 10 

Drain  tile 12 

Roofing  tile 24 

Sewer   pipe    10 

Chinaware   and   semi-vitreous   tableware 3 

Sanitary  ware   6 

Red    earthenware    6 

Stoneware  and  chemical  stoneware 6 

Floor,  faience,  mantel,  glazed  and  hand-made  tile 27 

Miscellaneous  art  pottery,  bisque  ware,  brick  dust, 
calcined  clay,  ceramic  mosaic  wall  tiles,  conduit, 
conduit  pipe,  fire  clay  products,  crushed  brick 
and  tile,  garden  furniture  and  pottery,  high  tem- 
perature cement,  porcelain,  gas  radiants  and 
backs,  cast  stone,  ground  clay,  fire  clay  and  grog, 
broken  tile  and  various 23 


Tons 

Value 

15,954 

$2,361,524 

13,207 

461,786 

7,178 

113, 16S 

73,984 

1,917,415 

100,689 

2,910,567 

627,516 

1,894,705 

198,308 

434,772 

2,867,772 

837,670 


Total   value    $14,625,203 

Important  increases  were  shown  by  sewer  pipe,  roofing  tile,  and  jflat 
tile  (floor,  faience,  mantel,  etc.),  with  decreases  by  architectural  terra 
cotta,  chimney  pipe,  and  the  miscellaneous  group. 

Value  of  Clay  Products  of  the  United  States. 

The  Census  Bureau  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Commerce  announces^ 
as  a  result  of  its  canvass  of  retur^is  for    1926,  that  the  total  value  of 

'U.  S.  Cen.sus  Bureau,  Pre.ss  Bulletin,  Sept.  14,  1927. 
7—55185 


98 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


clay  products  and  non-clay  refractories  in  the  United  States  for  tlie 
year  was  $459,049,470,  an  increase  of  2.6%  as  compared  with  $447,603,- 
889  in  1925.  The  value  for  1926  is  made  up  as  follows :  Brick,  tile  and 
other  clay  products  except  pottery,  $317,953,545 ;  pottery,  $116,488,308 ; 
non-clay  refractories,  $24,505,519.  These  values  represent  increases  of 
1%,  4%,  and  20.3%,  respectively,  over  1925. 

Of  the  2391  establishments  classified  in  these  industries  for  1926, 
there  were  381  in  Ohio,  329  in  Pennsylvania,  145  in  Illinois,  127  in  New 
Jersey,  125  in  New  York,  106  in  California,  95  in  Indiana,  76  in  North 
Carolina,  70  in  Texas,  66  in  Missouri,  51  in  Iowa,  and  the  remaining 
820  in  38  other  states  and  the  District  of  Columbia. 

Pottery  Clay  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Amount  and  value  of  crude  pottery-  clay  output  in  California  since 


1887  are  given  in  ' 

the  following  table : 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887 

75,000 

75,000 

75,000 

100,000 

100,000 

100,000 

24,856 

28,475 

37,660 

41,907 

24,592 

28,947 

40,600 

59,636 

55,679 

67,933 

90,972 

84,149 

133,805 

167,267 

160,385 

?37.500 
37.500 
37.500 
50.000 
50,000 
50.000 
67.284 
35.073 
39,685 
62,900 
30.290 
33,747 
42.700 
60,956 
39,144 
74,163 
99,907 
81.952 
130.146 
162,283 
254,454 

1908. 

208,042 
299,424 
249,028 
224,570 
199,605 
231,179 
179,948 
157,866 
134,636 
166,298 
112,423 
135,708 
203,997 
225,120 
277,232 
376,863 
417,928 
537,587 
797,461 

$325,147 

1888 

1909... 

1910        

465,647 

1889 

324,099 

1890 

1911 . 

252,759 

1891 

1912 

21.5,683 

1892 

1913 

1914 

261.273 

1893.  . 

167,552 

1894 . 

1915.... 

133,724 

1895 

1916 

146,538 

1896     - 

1917 

1,54,602 

1897 

1918.. 

166,788 

1898 

1919 

215.019 

1899 

1900 -              _      ... 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

440,689 
362,172 

1901 

1902 

473,184 
697,841 

1903- 

1924-_ 

1925 

1926 

Totals 

651,857 

1904 

1905 

1906.... 

1907 

674.376 
806,509 

6,706,784 

$8,442,643 

DOLOMITE. 
Bmiography:  Reports  XV,  XVII-XXII  (inc.).    Bulletins  67,  91. 

The  production  of  dolomite  for  the  year  1926  totaled  68,640  tons 
valued  at  $119,313,  being  an  increase  in  both  quantity  and  value  oyer 
the  1925  figures  of  42,852  tons  and  $104,900,  though  less  than  the  record 
yield  of  1923.  The  1926  output  came  from  a  single  quarry  each  in 
Inyo,  Monterey  and  San  Benito  counties.  The  material  shipped  was 
utilized  for  steel  furnace  flux  and  refractories,  and  for  manufacture 
of  CO,.  Some,  previously  has  been  used  for  burned  dolomitic  lime,  for 
stucco  dash-coat,  and  terrazzo. 


Dolomite  Production  of  California,  by  Years.  ye*  J 

Previous  to  the  1915  statistical  report  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau, 
dolomite  was  included  under  limestone,  as  the  two  minerals  are  closely 
related  chemically ;  but  since  dolomite,  as  such,  has  been  found  to  have 
certain  distinctive  applications,  we  now  give  it  a  separate  classification. 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


99 


Amount  and  value  of  the  output  of  dolomite,  annually,  have  been  as 
follows : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

1915 .     .. 

4,192 
13,313 
27,911 
24,560 
24,502 
42,388 
31,195 
-  52,409 
69,519 
28,843 
42,852 
68,610 

$14,504 

1916 

46,566 

1917 

66,416 

1918 

79,441 

1919 

67,9.53 

1920 ... 

132,791 

1921 

99,1.55 

1922 

114,911 

1923 

142,615 

1924 ... 

71,271 

1925 

104,900 

1926 .   . 

119,313 

Totals 

430,324 

$1,059,836 

FELDSPAR. 

Bibliography:    State    Mineralogist    Reports   XV,    XVII,    XVIII, 

XXI.     BuHetins  67,  91.     U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  Bulletin  92. 

f  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  115,  pp.  535-538,  Mar.  24,  1923. 

Feldspar  was  produced  by  four  operators  in  three  counties  (Kern, 
Riverside  and  San  Diego)  during  1926,  to  the  amount  of  7300  tons, 
valued  at  $56,400,  being  a  slight  decrease  both  in  quantity  and  value 
from  the  1925  figures,  which  were  8165  tons  and  $59,615. 

The  requirements  of  the  pottery  trade  demand  that  in  general  the 
percentage  of  free  silica  associated  with  the  feldspar  be  less  than  20%, 
and  in  some  cases  the  potters  specify  less  than  5%.  An  important 
factor,  also,  is  the  iron-bearing  minerals  frequently  present  in  pegma- 
tites and  granites,  such  as  biotite  (black  mica),  garnet,  hornblende,  and 

\  black  tourmaline.  Feldspar  for  pottery  uses  should  be  practically  free 
of  these.    The  white,  potash-mica,  muscovite,  is  not  particularly  objec- 

,  tionable  except  that,  being  in  thin,  flexible  plates,  it  does  not  readily 
grind  to  a  fineness  required  for  the  feldspar. 

Present  quotations  are  from  $5  to  $8  per  ton,  crude,  according  to 
quality. 

The  most  important  developments  quantitatively  in  the  feldspar 
resources  of  California  have  thus  far  taken  place  in  San  Diego  and 
Riverside  counties,  where  large  deposits  of  massive,  high-grade  spar 
are  being  opened  up.  These  deposits  are  unusually  free  from  black 
mica  and  other  deleterious  iron-bearing  minerals  objectionable  in  pot- 

I  tery  work.  The  important  producing  districts  are  near  Lakeside  and 
Campo,  in  San  Diego  County,  and  near  Lakeview,  Murrietta,  and  Elsi- 
nore,  in  Riverside  County.  Other  deposits  which  give  promise  are 
reported  from  Inyo,  Kern  and  San  Bernardino  counties.  No  recent 
shipments  have  been  reported  from  Monterey  and  Tulare  counties, 
formerly  important  sources. 

Total  Feldspar  Production  of  California. 

Total  amount  and  value  of  feldspar  production  in  California  since 
the  inception  of  the  industry  are  given  in  the  following  table,  by  years : 


100 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OP    CALIFORNIA. 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1910 

760 
740 
1,382 
2,129 
3,530 
1,800 
2,630 
11,792 
4,132 
1,272 

$5,720 

4,560 

6,180 

7,850 

16,565 

9,000 

14,350 

46,411 

22,061 

12,965 

1920 

4,518 
4.349 
4,587 
11,100 
9,055 
8,165 
7,300 

26,189 

1911 --- 

1921 

28,343 

1912      

1922 

37,109 

1913 

1923 

81,800 

1914 

1924 ... . 

08,112 

1915         

1925 

1926  __^..  ..  ..  ... 

59,615 

1916.. 

56,400 

1Q17 

Totals.... 

1918 - 

79,241 

$503,225 

1919      

FLUORSPAR. 

Bihliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XVII,  XVIII.  Bulle- 
tins 67,  91.  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  117,  pp.  489-492, 
Mar.  22,  1924. 

Fluorspar,  or  calcium  fluoride,  CaFo,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
non-metallic  minerals  from  an  industrial  standpoint.  About  80%  of 
the  commercial  mineral  is  prepared  in  the  'gravel'  form  and  utilized 
as  a  flux  in  the  manufacture  of  steel,  for  which  use  no  substitute  has 
yet  been  found.  In  the  United  States,  under  normal  business  condi- 
tions, the  consumption  for  that  purpose  is  125,000  to  150,000  tons 
annually.  Fluorspar  is  also  used  in  aluminum  smelting,  and  in  the 
manufacturing  of  enameled  Avare,  glazed  tile  and  brick,  opalescent  glass 
and  certain  chemicals,  particularly  hydrofluoric  acid  and  its  deriva- 
tives. The  mineral  is  marketed  in  three  forms :  lump,  gravel,  and 
ground. 

According  to  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce, 
imports  of  fluorspar  into  the  United  States  in  1926  amounted  to  67,563 
long  tons,  valued  at  $747,237,  and  came  principally  from  England,  with 
smaller  amounts  from  British  South  Africa,  Italy,  China  and  Nether- 
lands. Domestic  shipments  of  fluorspar,  according  to  the  U.  S.  Bureau 
of  Mines,  totaled  128,657  short  tons,  valued  at  $2,341,277. 

In  California  deposits  have  been  reported  in  Los  Angeles,  Mono, 
Riverside  and  San  Bernardino  counties,  but  no  commercial  production 
has  resulted  except  in  1917-1918,  when  a  total  of  79  tons  valued  at  $991 
was  shipped  from  Riverside  Count}'. 

The  Tariff  Act  of  1922  places  a  duty  of  $5.60  per  ton  on  foreign 
importations  of  fluorspar. 

Present  quotations  (Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,  New  York) 
are  f  .o.b.  Middle  Western  Mines,  per  net  ton :  Gravel,  not  less  than  85% 
CaF^  and  not  over  5%  Si02,  $17-$18;  foundry  lump,  $20. 


FULLER'S  EARTH. 

State  Mineralogist   Reports 


BiMiography 

XXI.     Bulletins  38,  91 
Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol 


U^S 


XIV,   XVII,   XVIII, 

Bureau  of  Mines,  Bulletin  71. 
121,  pp.  837-842,  May  22,  1926. 


Fuller's  earth  includes  many  kinds  of  unctuous  clays.  It  is  usually 
soft,  friable,  earthy,  nonplastic,  white  and  gray  to  dark  green  in  color, 
and  some  varieties  disintegrate  in  water.    In  California,  fuller's  earth 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  101 

has  been  used  in  clarifying  both  refined  mineral  and  vegetable  oils, 
and  for  special  chemical  purposes;  although  its  original  use  was  in 
fulling  wool,  as  the  name  indicates.  Production  has  come  mainly  from 
Calaveras  and  Solano  counties,  with  other  deposits  noted  also  in  River- 
side, Fresno,  Inyo  and  Kern  counties. 

Clays  of  the  montmorillonite  and  halloysite  group  ('rock  soap')  are 
being  utilized  by  some  of  the  oil  refineries  in  lieu  of  true  fuller's  earth 
in  the  refining  of  petroleum  products. 

The  production  of  23,552  tons  valued  at  $250,192  here  credited  to 
1926  as  'fuller's  earth'  is  in  reality  colloidal  clay  of  the  montmorillonite 
class  (sold  under  such  local  names  as  'bentonite, '  'otaylite, '  'shoshon- 
ite,'  derived  from  the  locality  where  found).  Because  of  its  being  util- 
ized for  clarifying,  filtering,  and  cleanser  purposes,  most  of  it  in 
petroleum  refining,  we  have  placed  it,  for  the  purpose  of  the  State 
Mining  Bureau's  statistical  reports,  under  the  fuller's  earth  heading. 

After  all,  the  practical  test  of  a  fuller 's  earth  is  not  so  much  chemical, 
as  a  physical  one;  that  is,  its  physical  capacity  to  absorb  basic  colors 
and  to  remove  these  colors  from  solution  in  animal,  vegetable,  or  min- 
eral oils,  also  from  water. 

The  1926  output  above  noted  is  an  increase  in  both  amount  and  value 
over  the  5280  tons  and  $91,842  in  1925,  and  came  from  seven  properties, 
in  Inyo,  Kern,  San  Bernardino,  and  San  Diego  counties. 

The  industrial  applications  of  the  montmorillonite  (or  'bentonite,' 
as  it  is  more  commonly  referred  to)  group  of  clays  are  numerous. 
According  to  Melhase  :^ 

"Bentonite  has  been  used  to  a  limited  extent  in  soaps  and  detergent  preparations, 
in  paints,  pigments,  and  stove  polish.  Tests  indicate  that  it  may  have  a  further 
field  of  usefulness  in  the  manufacture  of  cements  and  plasters,  in  the  ceramic 
industry,  and  in  the  preparation  of  dyes,  emulsions,  explosives,  and  fertilizers. 
Horticultural  sprays,  animal  dips,  lubricants,  and  absorbents  may  employ  bentonite 
as  an  ingredient.  Bentonite  is  used  in  de-inking  newspapers,  in  foundry  work,  in 
the  manufacture  of  pencils,  crayons,  and  ink,  and  in  the  preparation  of  various 
pharmaceuticals  and  cosmetics. 

"Bentonites  in  which  the  characterizing  mineral  is  leverrierite  are  extensively 
used  in  the  preparation  of  water  softeners.  The  California  bentonites  are  used 
chiefly  by  local  refineries  for  cleaning  hea\T  lubricating  oils,  kerosene,  and  gasoline. 
In  preparing  the  bentonite  for  this  purpose,  it  is  first  dried  at  a  temperature  of  230 
deg.  P.  It  is  then  ground  to  an  impalpable  powder  and  treated  for  several  hours 
with  96  per  cent  sulphuric  acid,  about  45  per  cent  by  weight  of  acid  being  found 
more  efficient.  The  acid-soluble  impurities  being  thus  eliminated,  the  clay  is  then 
drained  and  thoroughly  washed  with  clean  water. 


"Refining  Processes. 

"The  prepared  clay  is  then  placed  in  agitators  together  with  the  oil  to  be  treated 
and  the  mixture  thoroughly  agitated  with  steam  at  240  to  300  deg.  F.  From  the 
agitators  the  mixture  goes  to  settling  tanks  and  then  to  filter  presses,  which  remove 
the  suspended  clay  from  the  now  decolorized  oil.  The  amount  of  clay  used  ranges 
from  1  lb.  per  barrel  for  gasoline  to  100  lbs.  per  barrel  for  dark,  heavy,  lubricating 
oils.  The  efficiency  of  acid-treated  bentonite  is  much  greater  than  that  of  fuller's 
earth. 

"When  used  in  the  treatment  of  gasoline  or  light  oils  the  clay  may  be  used  several 
times  without  rejuvenation,  but  with  the  darker  oils  it  becomes  necessary  to  wash 
and  rejuvenate  the  clay  after  each  application.  This  process  can  not,  however,  be 
continued  indefinitely,  as  the  clay  loses  a  portion  of  its  efficiency  with  each  rejuve- 
nation, and  after  the  third  treatment  it  is  found  more  satisfactory  to  replace  the 
old  clay  with  a  fresh  supply." 


^Melhase,  John,  Mining  bentonite  in  California:  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour. -Press,  Vol.  121, 
p.  842,  May  22,  1926. 


102 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Fuller's  Earth  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Fuller's  earth  was  first  produced  commercially  in  this  state  in  1899, 
and  the  total  amount  and  value  of  the  output  since  that  time  are  as , 
follows : 


•Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1899.. 

620 

500 

1,000 

987 

250 

500 

1,344 

440 

100 

50 

459 

340 

466 

876 

460 

$12,400 

3.750 

19,500 

19,246 

4,750 

9,500 

38,000 

10,500 

1,000 

1,000 

7,385 

3,820 

5,294 

6.500 

3,700 

1914 

760 

692 

110 

220 

37 

385 

600 

1,185 

6.606 

3,650 

5,290 

5,280 

23.552 

$5,928 

1900 

1915  ... 

4,002 

1901  ... 

1916 

550 

1902 

1917 

2,180 

1903. 

1918 

333 

1904 

1919 

3,810 

1905 

1920 

6,000 

1906. 

1921 

8,295 

1907 

1922 

48,756 

1908 

1923 .-  . 

55,125 

1909 

1924 

1925 

67,295 

1910 

91,842 

1911... 

1926  - 

250,192 

1912 

Totals 

1913 

66.759 

$690,653 

Note. — Above  production  since  1D21  has  been  montmorillonite  (hydrous  aluminum 
silicate)  a  collodial  clay,  sometimes  called  'rock  soap'  and  'bentonlte,'  and  in  part 
locally  called  'shoshonite'  from  its  being  found  near  Shoshone  in  Inyo  County ;  and 
in  part  'otaylite'  from  Otay,  San  Diego  County. 


GEMS. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  II,  XIV,  XV,  XVII, 
XVIII,  XX,  XXI.  Bulletins  37,  67,  91.  U.  S.  G.  S.,  'Mineral 
Resources  of  the  U.  S.';  Bull.  603,  p.  208.  Bull.  Dept.  Geol. 
Univ.  of  Cal.,  Vol.  5,  pp.  149-153,  331-380.  Am.  Jour.  Sci.,  Vol. 
31,  p.  31. 

The  production  of  gem  materials  in  California  has  been  somewhat 
irregular  and  uncertain  since  1911.  The  compilation  of  complete 
statistics  is  difficult  owing  to  the  widely  scattered  places  at  which  stones 
are  gathered  and  marketed  for  the  most  part  in  a  small  way.  The 
material  reported  in  1926  totaled  $9,049  in  value,  compared  with 
$10,663  in  1925,  the  decrease  being  due  mainly  to  San  Diego  County. 

The  following  table  shows  the  distribution  of  rough,  uncut  gem  and 
jeweler's  materials  during  1926: 

County  Value  Kind 

Butte    $175  Diamonds  and  saphires. 

San  Diego 4,000  Tourmaline,     spessartite    garnet,    pink    and 

aquamarine  beryl,  blue  topaz,  kunzite. 

Calaveras "I  Quartz  crystals. 

Inyo I*    4,874  Oneiss. 

Sonoma J  Quartz  and  chalcedony. 

Total  value $9,049 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

Varieties  of  California's  Gem   Stones. 

Diamonds  have  been  found  in  a  number  of  localities  in  California; 
but  in  every  case,  they  have  been  obtained  in  stream  gravels  while 
working  them  for  gold.    The  principal  districts  have  been :  Volcano  in 


i 


I 


I 


i, 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  103 

Amador  County;  Placerville,  Smith's  Flat  and  others  in  El  Dorado 
County ;  French  Corral,  Nevada  County ;  Cherokee  Flat,  Morris  Ravine, 
and  Yankee  Hill,  Butte  County ;  Gopher  Hill  and  upper  Spanish  Creek, 
Plumas  County.  The  most  productive  district  of  recent  years  has  been 
Cherokee  in  Butte  County. 

California  tourmalmes  are  decidedly  distinctive  in  coloring  and  '  fire ' 
as  compared  to  foreign  stones  of  this  classification.  The  colors  range 
from  deep  ruby  to  pink,  and  various  shades  of  green,  also  blue. 

One  of  our  California  gem  stones,  henitoite,  has  not  been  found  else- 
where ;  and  in  but  a  single  locality  here  :  The  Dallas  Mine  in  San  Benito 
County. 

Kunzlte,  a  gem  variety  of  spodumene,  was  first  found  in  the  Pala 
district  in  San  Diego  County.  It  has  thus  far  been  found  in  only  one 
locality  (Madagascar)  outside  of  California.  It  is  of  a  lilac  color,  and 
is  described  in  detail  in  Bulletin  37  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau. 

Beryls  of  excellent  fire  and  delicate  colors  are  also  obtained  in  the 
Pala  district,  of  which  the  aquamarine  (blue)  and  morganite  (pink) 
varieties  deserve  special  mention.  Morganite,  like  kunzite,  has  thus  far 
been  found  elsewhere  only  in  Madagascar. 

Calif ornite,  or  'California  jade,'  is  a  gem  variety  of  vesuvianite,  and 
is  green  or  white  in  color.  It  is  found  in  Butte,  Fresno,  and  Siskiyou 
counties. 

Stones  of  precious  blue  topaz  of  fine  quality  are  being  cut  from  crys- 
tals' mined  in  northern  San  Diego  Count3^  They  are  associated  with 
beryl  and  blue  tourmaline. 

Some  rhodonite  has  been  mined  in  Siskiyou  County,  and  used  for 
decorative  purposes,  its  value  being  included  in  the  marble  figures. 

Garnets  are  found  in  a  number  of  localities  in  California ;  the  im- 
portant yield  of  gems  being  hyacinth  and  spessartite  varieties  from  San 
Diego  County. 

Chrysoprase  has  been  produced  in  Tulare  County. 

Turquoise  has  been  found  in  the  desert  section  of  San  Bernardino 
County,  but  none  produced  commercially  in  recent  years. 

Sapphires  have  been  reported  found  in  San  Bernardino  and  River- 
side counties,  but  not  as  yet  confirmed.  A  few  have  been  found  in 
stream  gravels  with  diamonds  in  Butte  County. 

Eiibies  have  been  identified  by  the  laboratory  of  the  State  Mining 
Bureau,  occurring  in  limestone  from  the  Baldy  Mountains,  San  Bernar- 
dino County.  Thus  far  no  stones  of  commercial  size  have  been 
taken  out. 

Total  Production  of  Gem   Materials  in  California. 

The  value  of  tlie  gem  output  in  California  annually  since  the  begin- 
ning of  commercial  production  is  as  follows  : 


104 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Year 

Value 

Year 

Value 

1900 

$20,500 

40,000 

162,100 

110,500 

136.000 

148,500 

497,090 

232,642 

208,950 

193,700 

237,475 

51,824 

23,050 

13,740 

3,970 

1 

1915...    

$3,565 

1901 

1916 

4,752 

1902 

1917 

3,049 

1903. 

1918 

650 

1904 

1919      .       

5,425 

1905 

1920 

36,056 

1906 

1921   .         

10,954 

1907 

1922 

1,312 

1908  

1923 

13.220 

1909- . 

1924 

4,800 

1910 

1925  ... .-- 

10.663 

1911 

1926  - 

9,019 

1912 

Total  value 

1913  -         

$2,183,536 

1914_  

GRAPHITE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Keports  XIII,  XIV,  XV,  XVII. 
Bulletins  67,  91.    U.  S.  G.  S.,  Min.  Kes.,  1914,  Pt.  II. 

Graphite  (also  called  plumbago)  has  been  produced  from  time  to  time 
in  the  state,  coming  principally  from  Sonoma  and  Los  Angeles  counties. 
It  is  difficult  for  these  deposits,  which  must  be  concentrated,  to  compete 
with  foreign  supplies,  which  go  on  the  market  almost  directly  as  they 
come  from  the  deposit.  Graphite  ores  are  concentrated  with  consider- 
able difficulty,  and  the  electric  process  of  manufacturing  artificial 
graphite  from  coal  has  been  perfected  to  such  a  degree  that  only 
deposits  of  natural  graphite  of  a  superior  quality  can  be  exploited  with 
any  certainty  of  success. 

According  to  the  U.  S.  Geological  Surve}^,  operators  in  this  country 
who  are  working  disseminated  flake  deposits  must  depend  on  their  No.  1 
and  No.  2  flake  for  their  profit.  Graphite  dust  is  merely  a  by-product 
and  is  salable  only  at  a  low  price. 

The  principal  value  of  graphite  is  on  account  of  its  infusibility  and 
resistance  to  the  action  of  molten  metals.  It  is  also  largely  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  electrical  appliances,  of  'lead'  pencils,  as  a  lubricant, 
as  stove  polish,  paints,  and  in  many  other  ways.  Amorphous  graphite, 
commonly  carrying  many  impurities,  brings  a  much  lower  price.  For 
some  purposes,  such  as  foundry  facings,  etc.,  the  low-grade  material  is 
satisfactory.  Among  the  interesting  uses  for  graphite  is  the  prevention 
of  formation  of  scale  in  boilers.  The  action  is  a  mechanical  one.  Being 
soft  and  slippery,  the  graphite  prevents  the  particles  of  scale  from 
adhering  to  one  another  or  to  the  boiler  and  they  are  thus  easily 
removed. 

The  price  increases  with  the  grade  of  material,  the  best  quality 
crystalline  variety  being  quoted  at  present  (f  .o.b.  New  York)  at  7^f5-8f^ 
per  pound  (Ceylon  lumps). 

The  coarser  flakes  are  necessary  for  crucibles,  as  they  help  to  bind 
the  clay  together  in  addition  to  their  refractory  service.  Imports  in 
1926  from  Ceylon,  Canada,  Madagascar,  Mexico  and  Korea,  totaled 
16,194  short  tons  valued  at  $928,513  compared  with  17,780  tons  valued 
at  $828,082  in  1925. 


STATISTICS    OP    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  105 

Occurrence  of  graphite  lias  been  reported  at  various  times  from  Cala- 
veras, Fresno,  Imperial,  Inyo,  Los  Angeles,  Mendocino,  San  Bernardino, 
San  Diego,  Siskiyou,  Sonoma  and  Tuolumne  counties. 

During  1925  there  was  a  small  commercial  output  of  graphite  from 
Inyo  County.  For  several  years  a  single  plant  in  Los  Angeles  County 
was  concentrating  graphite  from  a  disseminated  ore,  the  product  being 
used  for  paint  and  for  foundi-y  facing. 

Graphite  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

According  to  the  records  of  the  State  Mining  Bureau,  the  graphite 
production  of  California,  by  years,  has  been  as  follows : 

Year  Pounds  Value 

1901     : 128,000  $4,480 

1902     84,000  1,680 

1903     

1913     2,500  25 

1914     

1915     

1916     29,190  2,335 

1917     ^ 

1918     

1919     

1920     

1921     

1922     

1923     

1925     

1926     


^770,000  37,225 

^624,000  26,160 


Totals 1 1,637,690  $71,905 

*  Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned,'  on  account  of  a  single  producer. 

GYPSUM. 

BihlioqrapJnj:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XIV,  XV,  XVII,  XVIII, 
XXil.  Bulletins  38,  67,  91.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bull.  223,  413, 
430,  697.    U.  S.  Bur.  of  Standards,  Circular  No.  281. 

During  1926,  one  operator  each  in  Imperial  and  Kern  counties  and 
two  in  Riverside  produced  a  total  of  114,868  tons  of  gypsum,  valued  at 
$211,337,  compared  with  107,613  tons  and  $172,444  in  1925.  The 
material  was  utilized  mainly  in  cement  manufacture  as  a  retardent,  for 
hard-wall  plaster  (including  wall  board),  and  for  fertilizer. 

Uses. 

I  The  most  important  use  of  gypsum  from  the  quantity  standpoint  is 
j  in  the  calcined  form  where  it  is  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  various 
I  hard-wall  plasters  and  plaster  board.  As  plaster  of  paris,  it  plays  a 
[very  important  part  in  surgical  work.  Approximately  2%,  by  weight, 
(raw  gypsum  is  added  in  the  manufacture  of  Portland  cement  just 
before  the  final  grinding.  In  this  application,  the  gypsum  acts  as  a 
I  retarder  to  the  set  of  the  cement.  The  use  of  gypsum  tile  for  non- 
J  bearing  fireproof  partitions,  stairway  and  elevator  enclosures,  and  the 
'  protection  of  steel  columns,  girders  and  beams,  has  increased  greatly. 

Keene's  cement  is  a  gypsum  product,  calcined  to  complete  dehydra- 
tion, and  an  accelerator  added  such  as  alum,  potassium  sulphate,  borax, 
aluminum  sulphate. 

Land  plaster  may  be  applied  to  the  soil  by  drilling,  or  scattered  in 
the  hill,  or  it  may  be  sowed  broadcast,  in  quantities  ranging  from  200 
to  500  pounds  to  the  acre. 


106 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Total   Production  of  Gypsum  in  California. 

Production  of  gypsum  annually  in  California  since  such  records  have 
been  compiled  by  this  Bureau  is  as  follows : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887 

2,700 
2,500 
3,000 
3,000 
2,000 
2,000 
1,620 
2,446 
5,158 
1,310 
2,200 
3,100 
3,663 
2,522 
3,875. 
10,200 
6,914 
8,350 
12,859 
21,000 
8,900 

$27,000 
25,000 
30,000 
30.000 
20,000 
20,000 
14,280 
24,584 
51,014 
12,580 
19,250 
23,600 
14,950 
10,088 
38,750 
53,500 
46,441 
56,592 
54.500 
69,000 
57,700 

1908 

34,600 
30,700 
45,294 
31,457 
37,529 
47,100 
29,734 
20,200 
33,384 
30,825 
19,695 
19.813 
20,507 
37,412 
47,084 
86,410 
25,569 
107,613 
114,868 

S 155  400 

1888 

1909 

138,176 
129,152 
101,475 
117,388 
135,050 
78,375 
48  953 

1889 

1910 

1890 

1911    

1891 

1912 

1892 

1913 

1893 

1914    

1894 

1915 

1895 

1916 

59,533 
56  840 

1896 

1917 

1897 

1918... 

37,170 
50  579 

1898 

1919 

1899 

1920   .... 

92  535 

1900... 

1921 

78  875 

1901 

1922 

188,336 

1902 

1923  .  . 

289  136 

1903 

1924 

53  210 

1904 

1925 

172  444 

1905.... 

1926 

211  337 

1906 

1907 

Totals 

929,102 

$2,892,799 

INFUSORIAL   and    DIATOMACEOUS    EARTH. 

Bibliography:    State    Mineralogist    Reports    II,    XII-XV    (inc), 
XVII-XXII    (inc.).     Bulletins    38,    67,    91.     Am.    Inst.    Min. 
Eng.,  Bull.  104,  August,  1915,  pp.  1539-1550.     U.  S.  Bur.  ofj 
Mines,  Rep.  of  Investigations :  Serial  No.  2431,  Jan.,  1923.    Eng. 
&  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  115,  pp.  1152-1154,  June  30,  1923. 

Infusorial  and  diatomaceous  earths — sometimes  called  tripolite — are 
very  light  and  extremely  porous,  chalk-like  materials  composed  of  pure 
silica  (chalk,  being  calcareous)  which  have  been  laid  down  under  water 
and  consist  of  the  remains  of  microscopical  infusoria  and  diatoms. 
The  former  are  animal  remains,  and  the  latter  are  from  plants.  The 
principal  commercial  use  of  this  material  is  as  an  absorbent.  It  is  also 
emplo3^ed  in  the  manufacture  of  scouring  soap  and  polishing  powders ; 
for  filtration  purposes;  in  making  some  classes  of  refractory  brick; 
and  as  an  insulating  medium  both  in  heating  and  refrigeration.  It 
is  a  first-class  nonconductor  of  heat,  where  high  temperatures  arc 
employed,  sucli  as  around  steel  and  gas  plants  and  power  houses.  In 
such  cases,  it  is  built  in  as  an  insulating  layer  in  furnace  walls.  In 
Germany,  under  the  name  'kieselguhr,'  it  was  used  as  an  absorbent  for 
nitroglycerine  in  the  early  manufacture  of  dynamite. 

As  a  nonconductor  of  heat  it  has  been  used  alone  or  with  other  mate- 
rials as  a  covering  for  boilers,  steam  pipes  and  safes,  and  in  fireproof 
cement.  It  is  used  largely  by  paint  manufacturers  as  a  wood  filler. 
Boiled  with  shellac  it  is  made  into  records  for  talking  machines.  It  has 
been  used  for  absorbing  liquid  manures  so  that  they  could  be  utilized 
as  fertilizers,  and  as  a  source  of  silica  in  making  water-glass  as  well  as 
in  the  manufacture  of  cement,  tile  glazing,  artificial  stone,  ultramarine 
and  other  pigments  of  aniline  and  alizarine  colors,  paper  filling,  sealing 
wax,  fireworks,  liard-rubber  objects,  matches,  and  paper  mache,  and 
tor  solidifying  bromide.  For  making  insulating  brick  tlie  material  is 
sawed  mto  blocks,  and  for  all  other  purposes  it  is  ground  and  screened. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


107 


The  most  important  deposits  in  California  thus  far  known  are  located 
in  Monterey,  Orange,  San  Luis  Obispo,  and  Santa  Barbara  counties. 
The  Santa  Barbara  material  is  diatomaceous  and  is  of  a  superior 
quality,  particularly  for  filtration  uses  which  bring  the  higher  prices. 
Infusorial  or  diatomaceous  earths  are  also  found  in  Fresno,  Kern, 
Los  Angeles,  Plumas,  San  Benito,  San  Bernardino,  San  Joaquin, 
Shasta,  Sonoma,  and  Tehama  counties. 

As  over  90%  of  the  output  in  California  is  from  a  single  operator, 
we  have  concealed  the  exact  figures  under  the  'Unapportioned'  item  in 
the  state  and  county  totals.  There  were  six  operators  in  1926  in 
Monterey,  Santa  Barbara  and  Shasta  counties,  the  shipments  showing 
an  increase  in  tonnage,  but  a  decrease  in  total  value  compared  with 
1925. 

The  material  shipped  was  utilized  for  insulation,  filtration,  paint 
pigment,  cement  admixture,  and  for  clarification  of  gasoline  and 
kerosene. 


Total  Production  of  Diatomaceous  Earth  in  California. 

The  first  recorded  production  of  these  materials  in  California 
occurred  in  1889 ;  total  amount  and  value  of  output,  to  date,  are  as 
follows : 


Year 


Tons 


Valde 


Year 


Tons 


Value 


1889_ 
1890. 
1891. 
1892, 
1893. 
1894. 
1895. 
1896. 
1897. 
1898- 
1899- 
1900. 
1901. 
1902. 
1903. 
1904. 
1905. 
1906. 
1907. 
J908. 


39 


$1,335 


50 
51 


2,000 
2,040 


200 


422 
2,703 
6,950 
3,000 
2,430 
2,531 
2,950 


2,532 
16,015 
112.282 
15,000 
14,400 
28,948 
32,012 


1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916. 

1917 

1918 

1919. 

1920 

1921\ 

1922/ 

19231 

1924^ 

1925J 
1926 

Totals 


500 

1,843 

2,194 

4,129 

8,645 

12,840 

12,400 

15,322 

24,301 

35,963 

40,200 

60,764 

•90,739 


*193,064 


$3,500 

17,617 

19,670 

17,074 

35  968 

80,350 

62,000 

80,619 

127,510 

189,459 

217.800 

1,056,260 

1,016,675 
5,729.736 


524,035 


$8,881,032 


•Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 

LIMESTONE. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  XII-XV  (inc.), 
XVII-XXIII  (inc.).  Bulletins  38,  91.  Oregon  Agr.  College, 
Extension  Bulletin  305.  Eng.  and  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  120, 
pp.  249-253. 

'Industrial'  limestone  was  produced  in  nine  counties  during  1926, 
to  the  amount  of  108,795  tons,  valued  at  $367,501,  being  a  decrease 
both  in  quantity  and  value  compared  to  the  1925  output  of  319,977 
tons,  worth  $494,525. 

The  amount  here  given  does  not  include  the  limestone  use^  in  the 

I  manufacture  of  cement  nor  for  macadam  and  concrete,  nor  of  lime  for 

building  purposes;  but  accounts  for  that  utilized  as  a  smelter  and 

foundry  flux,  for  glass  and  sugar  making,  and  other  special  chemical 


108 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


and  manufacturing  processes.  It  also  includes  that  utilized  for  fer- 
tilizers (agricultural  'lime'),  'roofing  gravel,'  paint  and  concrete  filler, 
whiting  for  paint,  putty,  kalsomine,  terrazzo,  paving  dust,  chicken  grit, 
carbon  dioxide  gas,  'paving  compound,'  facing  dust  for  concrete  pipe, 
also  for  rubber  and  magnesite  mix.  That  from  Santa  Clara  and  Los 
Angeles  counties  is  calcareous  marl  sold  for  agricultural  purposes. 
Of  the  total  product  in  1926,  approximately  17,000  tons,  valued  at 
$61,594  were  used  for  agricultural  purposes. 

Distribution  of  the  1926  output  was  as  follows : 

Coimty  Tons  Value 

El    Dorado 59,386  $186,702 

San   Bernardino    11,226  49,504 

Tulare   18,000  70,000 

Contra   Costa,   Inj-o,   Los   Angeles,    Santa   Cruz,    Shasta,    Tuol- 
umne,  Ventura  *    20,183  61,295 

Totals    108,795  $367,501 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

Limestone  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  following  tabulation  gives  the  amounts  and  value  of  'industrial' 
limestone  produced  in  California  by  years  since  1894  when  compilation 
of  such  records  was  begun  by  the  State  ]\Iining  Bureau.  These  ton- 
nages consist  principally  of  limestone  utilized  for  flux,  glass  and  sugar 
making,  agricultural,  chemical,  and  other  special  industrial  purposes. 
That  utilized  in  cement  manufacture  is  not  included. 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

^'aIue 

1894_ 

15,420 

71,355 

68,184 

36,796 

27,686 

30,769 

32.791 

76,937 

71.422 

125,919 

40,207 

192.749 

80,262 

230,985 

273,890 

337,676 

684,635 

516,398 

?  19,275 

71,690 

71,112 

38,550 

24,548 

29,185 

31.532 

99,445 

90,524 

163.988 

87,207 

323,325 

162.827 

406.041 

297,264 

419,921 

581,208 

452,790 

1912 

613,375 

301,918 

572,272 

146,324 

187,521 

237,279 

208,566 

88,291 

90,120 

75,921 

84,382 

143,266 

219,476 

319,977 

108,795 

$570,248 
274,455 
517  713 

1895 

1913.... 

1896 

1914 

1897 

1915 ... 

156  288 

1898 

1916 

217,733 
356,396 
456,258 
248,145 
298  '97 

1899 

1917 

1900... 

1918 

1901 . 

1919 

1902 

19'>0 

1903 

1921 

305  912 

1904. 

1922 

282  181 

1905 

1923    .      -  - 

348  464 

1906 .  . 

1924 

582  660 

1907 

1925 

494,525 
367  501 

1908 

1926.  . 

1909 

Totals 

1910.. 

6,311,564 

$8,847,114 

1911 

LITHIA. 

Bihliography:  State   Mineralogist   Reports   II,    IV,    XIV,    XXI,, 
Bulletins  38,  67,  91.  * 

Lithia  mica,  lepidolite  (a  silicate  of  lithium  et  al.)  utilized  in  the 
manufacture  of  artificial  mineral  water,  fireworks,  glass,  etc.,  has  been 
mined  in  San  Diego  County  since  1899,  except  between  1905  and  1915, 
though  there  was  none  shipped  in  1923  and  1925.  The  1926  figures 
are  concealed  under  the  'TTnapportioned'  item.  Some  amblygonite,  a 
lithium  phosphate,  is  occasionally  also  obtained  from  pockets  associated 
with  the  gem  tourmalines. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 

Lithia  mica  total  production  in  the  state  has  been  as  follows ; 


109 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tous 

Value 

1899     

124 
440 
1,100 
822 
700 
641 
25 

$4,600 
11,000 
27,500 
31,880 
27,300 
25.000 
276 

1918 

4,111 

800 

10,046 

*1,365 

S73,998 

1900 

1919 

14  400 

1901        .  ,                 .          . 

1920 

153  502 

1902 

19211 

20,781 

1903 

1922/ 

1923     ... 

1904     

1905 

1924  

109 

2,269 

1906 

1925 

1915 

91 

71 

880 

1,365 
1,065 
8,800 

1926 

Totals 

* 

*■ 

1916 

1917    -                                

21,325 

$403,736 

*Anuual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 

MICA. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  II,  IV.  Bulletins  38,  67, 
91.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bull.  740;  Min.  Res.  of  U.  S.  Eng.  & 
Min.  Jour. -Press,  Vol.  115,  pp.  55-60,  Jan.  13,  1923. 

No  commercial  production  of  mica  has  recently  been  reported  in 
California.    Production  in  previous  years  has  been  as  follows : 

Year  Tons  Value 

1902     50  $2,500 

1903     50  3,800 

1904     ^ 50  3,(100 

Totals     150  $9,300 


Classification   and    Uses. 


Practically  all  marketable  mica  is  of  the  muscovite  or  phlogopite 
varieties.  There  are  three  main  commercial  classes :  Sheet  mica,  includ- 
ing punch ;  splittings,  and  scrap.  Sheet  mica  is  used  chiefly  for 
electrical  purposes  and  for  glazing ;  splittings  are  made  into  built-up 
mica ;  scrap  is  ground  to  a  powder.  Mica  to  be  classified  as  sheet  must 
yield  a  rectangle  of  at  least  1|  x  2  in.,  must  split  evenly  and  freely, 
be  free  from  cracks,  rulings,  or  plications,  and  reasonably  free  from 
inclusions  of  foreign  matter,  though  stains  of  a  nonconducting  character 
are  permissible  for  some  uses.  Ability  to  withstand  heat  and  higli 
electrical  resistance  have  led  to  a  wide  application  of  sheet  mica  in 
the  electrical  industries.  The  electrical  uses  of  sheet  mica  greatly 
exceed  all  others  in  quantity  and  value  of  the  material  used. 

As  a  heat-resisting  transparent  medium,  sheet  mica  has  various  uses. 
It  is  wideh^  employed  for  stove  windows,  though  this  use  has  declined 
to  a  considerable  extent.  A  hard  and  rigid  mica  that  is  nearly  clear 
is  best  suited  for  stove  fronts.  High-grade  stove  mica  commands  a 
higher  price  than  electrical  mica,  because  for  the  most  part  larger 
sizes  are  demanded.  Mica  is  also  used  in  furnace  and  bake-oven  sight- 
holes,  heat  screens,  lamp  chimneys,  canopies  and  shades,  particularly 
for  gas  mantles,  and  also  for  military  lanterns  and  in  lantern  slides. 
,  Its  ability  to  witlistand  shocks  and  strains,  combined  with  its  trans- 
parency, has  led  to  Avide  use  in  motor  goggles,  spectacles,  diver's 
helmets,  smoke  helmets,  compass  cards,  gage  fronts,  and  in  windows 
subject  to  shock,  as  in  the  conning  towers  of  warsliips.  On  account 
of  its  heat-resisting  qualities,  ground  mica  is  used  in  railroad  car  axle 


110 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


packings,  in  pipe  and  boiler  coverings,  in  fire-proof  paints,  and  in 
rubber  tires.  Ground  mica  is  used  as  a  component  m  roofing,  as  a 
filler  in  rubber  and  other  products,  in  calico  printing,  and  as  a  tire 
powder  It  is  used  also  in  tinsel  decorations,  and  as  Santa  Glaus  snow 
for  Ghristmas  tree  and  window  decorations.  It  is  used  as  a  lubricant 
for  wooden  bearings,  and  mixed  with  oil  for  metal  bearings. 


i 


MINERAL   PAINT. 

Bihliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII-XIX  (inc.),  XXI, 
XXII.    Bulletins  38,  91. 

Mineral  paint  materials  were  produced  in  Galifornia  in  1926  from 
properties  in  Stanislaus  Gounty,  amounting  to  569  tons,  valued  at 
$5,846.  This  is  a  decrease  from  669  tons  and  $6,969  of  1925  and  was 
entirely  of  yellow  ochre.  Hematite  has  been  shipped  from  Placer 
County,  and  red  ochre  from  Sonoma  and  Ventura  counties  in  former 
vears. 


J 


Mineral   Paint  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  first  recorded  production  of  mineral  paint  materials  in  the  state' 
was  in  the  year  1890.    The  output,  showing  annual  amount  and  value^ 
since  that  time,  is  given  herewith  :  I 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1890 

40 

22 

25 

590 

610 

750 

395 

578 

653 

1,704 

529 

325 

589 

2,370 

270 

754 

250 

250 

335 

305 

?480 

880 

750 

26,795 

14,140 

8,425 

5,540 

8,165 

9,698 

20,294 

3,993 

875 

1,533 

3,720 

1,985 

4,025 

1,720 

1,720 

2,250 

2,325 

1910 

200 
186 
300 
303 
132 
311 
643 
520 
728 
1,780 
779 
446 
1,620 
1,049 
532 
669 
569 

$2,040 1 
1.1841 
1,800  "! 
.   1,780  1 
847  ' 
1,756  ' 
3,960 
2,700 
4,738.1 

17,055* 

4!74^ 

ll!773f 
5,234» 
6,969-!' 
5,840^  i 

1891 

1911 

1892 

1912.... 

1893 

1913.. 

1894 

1914.. _ 

1895 

1915 

1896 

1916 _ 

1897 

1917 

1898 

1918. 

1899 

1919 

1900 

1920 

1901 

1921. 

1902 

1922 

1903 

1923 

1904 

1924 

1905 

1925 

1906 

1926 

Totals 

1907 

21.511 

$206,697  ■ 

1908 

1909    

MINERAL  WATER. 

BihliograpMj :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  VI,  XII-XVIII  (inc.), 
XXI-XXIII  (inc.).  U.  S.  G.  S.,  Water  Supply  Paper  338.  Min. 
Res.  1914,  1916.  'Mineral  Springs  and  Health  Resorts  of  Gali- 
fornia,' by  Dr.  "Winslow  Anderson,  1890.  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr., 
Bur.  of  Ghem.,  Bulletin  91. 

A  widespread  production  of  mineral  water  is  shown  annually  in 
Galifornia.  These  figures  refer  to  mineral  water  actually  bottled  for 
sale,  or  for  local  consumption.  Water  from  some  of  the  springs  having 
a  special  medicinal  value  brings  a  price  many  times  higher  than  the 


STATISTICS   OP    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


Ill 


average  shown,  while  iu  some  cases  the  water  is  used  merely  for  driuk- 
ing  purposes  and  sells  for  a  nominal  figure.  Health  and  pleasure 
resorts  are  located  at  many  of  the  springs.  The  waters  of  some  of  the 
hot  springs  are  not  suitable  for  drinking,  but  are  very  efficacious  for 
bathing. 

From  a  therapeutic  standpoint,  California  is  particularly  rich  in 
mineral  springs.  The  counterparts  of  many  of  the  world-famed  spas 
of  Europe  and  the  eastern  United  States  can  be  found  here.  Radio- 
activity has  been  noted  in  at  least  two  localities  in  California :  At  The 
Geysers  in  Sonoma  County,  and  Arrowhead  Hot  Springs  in  San  Ber- 
nardino County.  It  doubtless  exists  at  others,  but  the  State  Mining 
Bureau  has  not  as  yet  had  funds  available  to  conduct  the  necessary 
investigations  along  this  line. 

So  far  as  the  efficacy  of  radioactivity  in  mineral  water  is  concerned, 
it  has  been  found  by  investigations  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey 
and  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  that  it  is  not  retained  and 
transported  in  bottled  water.  Radioactivity  in  water  is  only  tempo- 
rary, and  dissipates.  To  obtain  whatever  therapeutic  effect  it  may 
possess,  radioactive  water  should  be  utilized  directly  at  the  spring. 

Commercial  production  of  mineral  water  in  California  for  1926 
amounted  to  a  total  of  14,074,877  gallons,  valued  at  $1,171,550,  being 
a  new  high  record  in  quantity  but  slightly  lower  value  than  1925.  The 
1 926  output  was  distributed  by  counties,  as  follows : 

County  Gallons  Value 

Lake 57,000  $58,235 

Lo.s    Ang-eles    4,026,465  200,459 

Napa   80,376  49,468 

San    Diego    156,380  23,259 

Sonoma     36,272  7,752 

Butte,  Calaveras,  Contra  Costa,  Fresno,  Marin,  Riverside, 

'San   Benito,    San    Bernardino,    San    Luis    Obispo.    Santa 

Barbara,   Santa  Clara,   Siskiyou,   Solano,  Trinitv* 9,718,384  832,377 


14,074,877  $1,171,550 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

The  production  above  tal)ulated  was  in  part  bottled  with  artificial 
carbonation,  in  part  natural  and  a  large  part  was  used  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  soft  drinks  with  flavors. 

Although  some  of  the  operators  complain  that  prohibition  has  all 
but  killed  off  the  mineral  water  business,  the  reports  of  actual  produc- 
tion of  mineral  water  bottled  and  sold  indicate  an  encouraging  growth 
and  a  material  increase  annually  both  in  total  quantity  and  value,  as 
may  be  noted  from  the  tabulation  below. 


Mineral  Water  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Mineral  water  was  bottled  for  sale,  at  the  Napa  Soda  Springs,  Napa 
County,  as  early  as  1860,  and  at  other  springs  in  California,  notably 
The  Geysers,  Sonoma  County,  also  at  early  dates;  but  there  are  no 
figures  available  earlier  than  the  year  1887.  Amounts  and  values, 
annually,  since  that  year  are  shown  herewith : 


112 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Year 

Gallons 

Value 

Year 

Gallons 

Value 

1887 

618,162 

1,112,202 

808,625 

258,722 

334.553 

331,875 

383.179 

402.275 

701,397 

808,843 

1,508,192 

1,429,809 

1,338,537 

2,456,115 

1,555,328 

1,701,142 

2,050,340 

2,430,320 

2,194,150 

1,585,690 

2,924,269 

S144,368 
252,990 
252,241 

89,780 
139,959 
162,019 

90,667 
184,481 
291,500 
337,434 
34,5,863 
213,817 
400,691 
268,007 
559,057 
012,477 
558,201 
490.940 
538,700 
478,180 
544,016 

1908 

2,789,715 
2,449,834 
2,335,259 
2,637,669 
2,497,794 
2,350,792 
2,443,572 
2,274,267 
2,273,817 
1,942,020 
1,808,791 
2,233,842 
2,391,791 
3,446,278 
4,276,346 
5,487,276 
8,159,211 
12,115,072 
14,074,877 

$560,507 

1888         -  

1909 

465,488 

1889 

1910 

522,009 

1890 

1911. 

1912 _ 

590,654 

1891       

529,384 

1892 

1913 

599,748 

1893 

1914.. 

476,169 

1894    -      

1915 

467,738 

1895  

1916. 

410,112 

1896 

1917... 

340,566 

1897        

1918. 

375,050 

1898 

1919. 

340,117 

1899            .  . 

1920 -. 

421,643 

1900  

1921... 

367,476 

1901 

1922. 

486,424 

1902 

1923.. 

616,919 

19U3             

1924 

818,726 

1904 

1925..-. ■ 

1,230,455 

1905 

1926 

1,171,550 

Totals...'. 

1907 

104,927,948 

117,759,340 

PHOSPHATES. 
Bihliographij:  State  JMiueralof^^ist  Report  XXI. 


Bulletins  67,  91. 


No  commercial  prodnctioii  of  pliosphates  has  been  recorded  from 
California,  thouyli  occasional  pockets  of  tlie  litliinm  phosphate,  ambly- 
gonite,  Li  (AlF)  PO^,  have  been  found  associated  with  the  gem  tour- 
maline deposits  in  San  Diego  County.  Such  production  has  been 
classified  under  lithia. 


( 


PUMICE   and   VOLCANIC   ASH. 

BihliograpJnj:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII,  XIV,  XV,  XVII, 
XVIII,  XXII.    Bulletin  38  (See  'Tufa'). 

The  production  of  pumice  and  volcanic  ash  for  the  year  1926 
amounted  to  7170  tons  valued  at  $48,350,  and  came  from  properties  in 
Imperial,  Inyo,  Kern,  and  Mono  counties.  This  is  an  increase  both  in 
tonnage  and  value  compared  with  the  1925  shipments  which  were  5319 
tons  worth  $32,937. 

The  material  from  Imperial  County  and  part  of  that  from  Mono  is 
of  the  vesicular,  block  variety  and  was  sold  for  abrasive  purposes ;  the 
balance  of  the  Mono  material  and  that  from  Inyo  and  Kern  was  the 
volcanic  ash,  or  tuff  variety,  and  was  employed  in  making  soap  and 
cleanser  compounds.  The  Kern  County  ash  is  going  into  the  prepara- 
tion of  one  of  the  popular  and  nationally  advertised  brands  of  cleanser 
compounds. 


Pumice  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Commercial  production  of  pumice  in  California  was  first  reported  to 
the  State  Mining  Bureau  in  1909,  then  not  again  until  1912,  since  which 
year  there  has  been  a  small  annual  output,  as  indicated  by  the  follow- 
ing table : 


STATISTICS   OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


113 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1909 

50 

$500 

1919 

2,388 
1.537 
406 
613 
2,936 
4,919 
5,319 
7,170 

$43,657 

1910    

1920 ^. 

25,890 

1911 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 

6,310 

1912 

100 

3,590 

50 

380 
1,246 

525 
2,114 

2,500 
4,500 
1,000 
6,400 

18,092 
5,295 

28,669 

4,218 

1913 

16,309 

1914 - 

33,404 

1915    

32,937 

1916 

1926 

Totals 

48,350 

1Q17 

1918 

33,343 

$278,061 

PYRITES. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XVIII,   XIX,   XXII. 
Bulletins  38,  91.    Min.  and  Sci.  Press,  Vol.  114,  pp.  825,  840. 

A  total  production  of  100,896  short  tons  of  pyrites,  valued  at 
$466,088,  was  reported  shipped  in  California  during  1926  from  prop- 
erties in  Alameda,  Mariposa,  and  Shasta  counties.  This  was  a  decrease 
both  in  tonnage  and  value  from  the  figures  of  129,500  tons  and  $528,550 
in  1925. 

The  material  was  mostly  used  in  the  manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid 
for  explosives  and  fertilizers,  but  a  portion  was  utilized  directly  in  the 
preparation  of  agricultural  fertilizer  and  insecticide.  The  sulphur 
content  ranged  up  to  46.5%  S. 

This  does  not  include  the  large  quantities  of  pyrite,  chalcopyrite,  and 
other  sulphides  which  are  otherwise  treated  for  their  valuable  metal 
contents.  Some  sulphuric  acid  is  annually  made  as  a  by-product  in 
the  course  of  roasting  certain  tonnages  of  Mother  Lode  auriferous 
concentrates  while  under  treatment  for  their  precious  metal  values. 


Pyrites  Production  in  California,  by  Years. 

The  total  recorded  pyrites  production  in  California  to  date  is  as 
follows : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1898 

6,000 

5,400 

3,642 

4,578 

17,525 

24,311 

15,043 

15,50» 

46,689 

82,270 

107,081 

457,867 

42,621 

54,225 

69,872 

79,000 

$30,000 

28,620 

21,133 

18,429 

60,306 

94,000 

62,992 

63,958 

145,895 

251,774 

610,335 

1,389,802 

179,862 

182,954 

203,470 

218,537 

1914 

79,267 
92,462 
120,525 
111,325 
128,329 
147,024 
146,001 
110,025 
151,381 
148,004 
124,214 
129,600 
100,896 

$230,058 
293,148 
379  qgg 

1899 

1915 

1900 

1916 

1901 

1917 

"in  704 

1902 

1918 

49t;  (119 

1903 

1919 

540,300 
530,581 
473,735 
570.425 
555,308 
517,835 
528,550 
466,088 

1904 _.. 

1920 

1905 

1921 

1906 

1922 

1907 

1923 

1908 

1924 

1909.... 

1925 

1910 

1926 

1911 

Totals 

1912 

2,620,580 

$9,389,830 

1913 

8 — 55185 


114  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

SHALE    OIL. 

BihliograpJiy :  State  Mineralogist  Report  XIX.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv., 
Bulletins  322,  729.  U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Bull.  210.  Eng.  and 
Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  118,  No.  8,  pp.  290-292,  Aug.  23,  1924. 
Chem.  &  Met.  Eng.,  Vol.  32,  No.  6,  Feb.,  1925.  Min.  Congress 
Jour.,  Dee.,  1924.  | 

Oil  Shale  is  defined  by  Gavin,^  as  follows  : 

"Oil  shale  is  a  compact,  laminated  rock  of  sedimentary  origin,  yielding  over  33  per 
cent  of  ash  and  containing  organic  matter  that  yields  oil  when  distilled,  but  not 
appreciably  when  extracted  with  the  ordinary  solvents  for  petroleum. 

"Oil  shales  contain  a  substance,  or  substances,  usually  classed  as  a  pyro-bitumen, 
that  by  destructive  distillation,  or  pyrolysis,  yields  oils  somewhat  similar  to  petroleum. 
These  substances  have  been  termed  'kerogen,'  from  two  Greek  words  meaning 
producer  of  wax." 


The  Scottish  oil  shales  are  also  known  as  '  torbanite. ' 

The  so-called  'oil  shales'  of  California  do  not  for  the  most  part  eon- 
form  to  the  above  definition,  as  the  greater  part  of  the  oil  obtained  from 
them  occurs  as  such  and  can  be  extracted  by  suitable  solvents.  The 
most  extensive  deposits  in  this  state  are  part  of  the  Monterey  formation 
of  Tertiary  age,  and  physically  and  chemically  are  different  from  the 
oil  shales  of  Scotland  and  from  other  oil  shales  in  the  United  States. 
The  mineral  matter  of  this  shale  is  diatomaceous ;  the  beds  that  yield 
oil  occur  in  massive  formation ;  and  Avhen  freshly  broken  smell  strongly 
of  petroleum.  Most  geologists  consider  the  Monterey  shales  to  have 
been  the  origin  of  the  oil  in  some  of  the  oil  fields  of  California. 

Although  the  extraction  of  shale  oil  has  been  a  matter  of  commercial 
practice  on  a  considerable  scale  for  manj^  years  in  Scotland,  France, 
and  Australia,  it  has  not  attained  any  great  commercial  importance 
as  yet  in  the  United  States.  Technical  knowledge  of  the  subject,  how- 
ever, is  increasing.  With  the  gradual  depletion  of  the  underground 
reserves  of  liquid  oil,  it  is  merely  a  matter  of  time  until  the  develop- 
ment of  the  oil  shales  of  the  United  States  will  be  an  economic  necessity. 
The  selling  price  of  petroleum  will  be  the  determining  factor.  The 
recovery  of  by-product  ammonium  sulphate  is  an  important  feature  of 
the  process. 

Two  plants  on  a  more  or  less  experimental  scale  have  been  in  opera- 
tion in  California  for  several  years  past,  with  commercial  production 
beginning  in  a  small  way  in  1922.  The  product,  in  part,  has  been  sold 
for  utilization  as  a  flotation  oil  in  metallurgical  work,  and  part  has 
been  consumed  as  fuel  at  the  plants.  As  only  one  plant  reported  output 
for  1926,  the  value  is  concealed  under  the  'unapportioned'  item. 

Shale  Oil  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Year                                                                                                   Barrels  Value 

Wll]* 4,333  $44,262 

l-*24i* ^ 8,688  55,240 


1926 


*  * 


Totals    13,021  $99,502 

*  Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 


1  Gavin,  M.  J.,  Oil  shale,  an  historical,  technical,  and  economic  study :  U.   S.  Bur. 
of  Mines,  Bull.  210,  p.  26,  1924. 


il 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  115 

SILICA    (Sand   and   Quartz). 

Bihliogrnphy:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IX;  XIV,  XV,  XVII, 
XVIII,  XX-XXIII.    Bulletins  38,  67,  91. 

We  combine  these  materials  because  of  the  overlapping  roles  of  vein 
quartz  which  is  mined  for  use  in  glass  making  and  a.s  an  abrasive,  and 
that  of  silica  sand  which,  although  mainly  utilized  in  glass  manufacture, 
also  serves  as  an  abrasive.  Both  A^arieties  are  also  utilized  to  some 
extent  in  fire-brick  manufacture. 

A  portion  of  the  tonnage  of  vein  quartz  in  California  in  1916  and 
1917  was  employed  in  the  preparation  of  ferro-silicon  by  the  electric 
furnace.  At  present,  some  is  utilized  as  a  foundry  flux,  and  for  steel- 
casting  molds.  A  portion  of  the  silica  sold  (both  sand  and  quartz)  is 
also  used  in  glazes  for  porcelain,  pottery  and  tile,  and  in  the  body  of 
the  ware  to  diminish  shrinkage ;  and  some  of  the  sand  for  the  prepara- 
tion of  sodium  silicate  ('water  glass').  Manufacturers  of  paint  use 
finely  ground  silica,  which  forms  as  much  as  one-third  of  the  total 
pigment  in  some  paints.  For  certain  purposes  finely-ground  crystalline 
material  is  superior  in  paints  to  other  materials  because  of  the  angu- 
larity of  the  grains,  which  makes  them  adhere  more  firmly  to  the  article 
painted  and  after  wear  afford  a  good  surface  for  repainting.  The  same 
angularity  makes  artificially  comminuted  crystalline  quartz  superior  to 
natural  sand  for  use  in  wood  fillers.  It  is  also  preferable  for  soaps  and 
polishing  powders.  Part  of  the  1925  output  was  used  for  roofing  and 
stucco-dash  granules. 

We  do  not  include  under  this  heading  such  forms  of  silica  as : 
quartzite,  sandstone,  flint,  tripoli,  diatomaceous  earth,  nor  the  gem 
forms  of  'rock  crystal,'  amethyst,  and  opal.  Each  of  these  has  various 
industrial  uses,  which  are  treated  under  their  own  designations. 

The  production  of  silica  in  California  in  1926  amounted  to  30,010 
tons,  valued  at  $104,317,  from  eleven  properties  in  seven  counties. 

Of  the  above  total  11,729  tons  was  of  sand  and  18,281  tons  of  vein 
and  boulder  quartz.  For  making  the  higher  grades  of  glass,  most  of 
the  sand  is  imported  from  Belgium.  Belgian  sand  has  also  displaced 
local  material  in  the  manufacture  of  sodium  silicate  ('water-glass'). 
There  are  various  deposits  of  quartz  in  California  which  could  be 
utilized  for  glass  making,  but  to  date  they  have  not  been  so  used 
owing  to  the  cost  of  grinding  and  the  difficulty  of  preventing  contami- 
nation by  iron  while  grinding. 

Silica  sand  has  been  produced  in  the  following  counties  of  the  state : 
Alameda,  Amador,  El  Dorado,  Los  Angeles,  Mono,  Monterey,  Orange, 
Placer,  Riverside,  San  Diego,  San  Joaquin,  and  Tulare,  the  chief  centers 
"being  Amador,  Monterey  and  Los  Angeles  counties.  The  industry  is  of 
limited  importance,  so  far,  because  of  the  fact  that  much  of  the  available 
material  is  not  of  a  grade  which  will  produce  first-class  colorless  glass; 
for  such,  it  must  be  essentially  iron-free.  Even  a  fractional  per  cent  of 
iron  imparts  a  green  color  to  the  glass. 


116 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


Total  Silica  Production  of  California. 


Total   silica    production   in    California   since   the   inception   of   the 
industry,  in  1899,  is  shown  below,  being  mainly  sand : 


I 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value   J 

1899   -  .   . 

3,000 

2,200 

5,000 

4,500 

7,725 

10,004 

9,257 

9,750 

11,065 

9,255 

12,259 

19,224 

8,620 

13,075 

18,618 

$3,500 

2,200 
16,250 
12,225 

7,525 
12,276 

8,121 
13,375 

8,178 
22,015 
25,517 
18.265 

8.072 
15.401 
21,899 

1914  .  .     

28,538 

28,904 

20,880 

19,376 

23,257 

18,659 

25,324 

10,569 

9,874 

7,964 

6,808 

12,498 

30,010 

1 

$22,688 

1900 .  .. 

1915 

34,322 

]90I_ 

1916 

48,908 

1902 

1917  .    .   

41,166 

1903 . 

1918 

88,930 

1904 . 

1919 

101,600 

1905 .. 

1920 

96,793 

1906.  . 

1921 

49,179 

1907. 

1922 

31,016 

1908 

1923... - - 

30,420 

1909- 

1924 

35,006 

3910.    ... 

1925 

96,780 

1911 

1926 

101,317  • 

1912 

Totals 

1913. 

386,213 

$976,577 

J, 

SILLIMANITE— AND  ALU  SITE— CYAN  ITE   GROUP. 

BiUiography :  State  Mineralogist  Report  XX.  Bulletins  67,  91. 
Dana's  Mineralogy.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Prof.  Paper  110.  Eng. 
&  Min.  Jour.-Press,  Vol.  120,  pp.  91-94,  1925.  Amer.  Mineral- 
ogist, June,  1924. 

Silliraanite  and  andalusite  are  both  aluminum  silicates  (AloSiOr,), 
having  the  same  composition  and  formula,  but  with  slightly  different 
physical  characteristics.  Though  both  crystallize  in  the  orthorhombic 
system,  their  crystal  habits  are  different :  Andalusite  being  usually  in 
coarse  prismatic  forms,  the  prisms  nearly  square  in  shape ;  also  occurs 
massive,  imperfectly  columnar,  and  sometimes  radiated  and  granular. 
Sillimanite  commonly  occurs  in  long,  slender  crystals,  not  distinctly 
terminated ;  prismatic  faces  striated  and  rounded ;  often  in  close 
parallel  groups,  passing  into  fibrous  and  columnar  massive  forms, 
sometimes  radiating.  Colors  are  similar.  Hardness,  andalusite  7.5, 
sillimanite  6-7.    Andalusite  is  slightly  lighter  in  specific  gravity. 

A  massive  deposite  of  andalusite,  found  in  Dry  Creek  Canyon  in  the 
White  Mountains  of  the  Inyo  Range,  in  Mono  County,  is  being  mined 
by  the  Champion  Porcelain  Company  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  The 
material  is  shipped  East  and  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  porcelain 
for  automobile  spark  plugs  and  for  other  high-tension  electric  insu- 
lators. 

Cyanite  is  also  an  aluminum  silicate  (ALSiOg),  of  the  same  chemical 
composition  as  andalusite  and  sillimanite,  but  crystallizing  in  the 
triclinic  system.  Occurs  usually  in  long-bladed  crystals,  rarely  termi- 
nated; hardness  5-7.25;  gravitj^  3.56-3.67  (being  heavier  than  the  other 
two)  ;  color,  blue.  A  deposit  of  cyanite,  apparently  in  quantity,  is 
being  developed  in  Imperial  Coimty,  near  Ogilby,  and  shipments  made 
to  a  refractory  plant  in  Los  Angeles. 

Dumortierite,  though  differing  somewhat  in  composition  from  the 
above,  being  a  basic  aluminum  silicate  (4  Al20;..3  SiOa),  has  proved 
similar  in  behavior  in  ceramic  work  so  that  it  is  now  being  mixed  with 
andalusite  for  electrical  porcelains.  A  deposit  of  this  mineral  in 
Nevada  is  being  mined  for  that  purpose.     Occurrences  of  massive 


I 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  117 

dumortierite  are  known  in  Im]3erial  County  in  this  state  and  there  may 
yet  be  some  commercial  possibilities  for  them. 

Total  Sillimanite  Group  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Year  Tons  Value 

1922] 

1923  i* 4,584  $98,790 

1924J 

nil]* 4,810  203,000 

Totals    9,394  $301,790 

*  Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 

SOAPSTONE  and  TALC. 

Bihliography:  State  Mineraloo-ist  Reports  XII,  XIV,  XV,  XVII- 
XXIII.  Bulletins  38,  67,  91.  U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  BuUetin  213. 
Rep.  of  Investigations,  Serial  No.  2253,  May,  1921. 

The  total  output  of  talc  and  soapstone  in  California  in  1926  amounted 
to  17,004  tons,  valued  at  $255,645  compared  with  15,465  tons,  valued  at 
$239,084,  in  1925.  Nearly  80  per  cent  of  the  product  was  high-grade 
talc  from  Inyo,  San  Bernardino  and  Shasta  counties,  which  material 
was  utilized  mainly  in  toilet  powders,  paint,  paper,  and  rubber  manu- 
facture, and  some  in  ceramics.  The  'soapstone'  grades  were  used 
mainly  for  roofing  granules  and  as  a  filler  in  roofing  paper,  and  part 
also  in  magnesite  cement. 

It  is  reported  that  California  talc  is  steadily  replacing  imported  talc 
in  the  toilet  trade  on  the  basis  of  quality.  The  largest  production  of 
talc  in  the  United  States  comes  from  Vermont  and  New  York,  and  of 
massive  soapstone  from  Virginia. 

Composition  and  Varieties. 

Talc  is  hj'drous  magnesium  silicate  with  the  chemical  formula 
H.MgaCSiOs)^.  It  is  also  called  soapstone  and  steatite.  The  term  'talc' 
properly  includes  all  forms  of  the  pure  mineral,  Avhereas  'steatite' 
I  denotes  particularly  the  massive,  compact  variety,  and  'soapstone'  the 
impure,  massive  forms  containing  as  low  as  50%  of  talc.  When  pure, 
talc  is  soft,  having  a  hardness  of  1,  but  impurities  increase  the  hardness 
up  to  3  or  4.  The  color  varies  from  pure  wliite  and  silvery  white  through 
gray,  green,  apple  green,  to  dark  green,  also  yellow,  brown,  and  reddish 
when  impure.  It  is  commonly  compact  or  massive,  or  in  fine  granular 
aggregates,  and  often  in  foliated  plates  or  in  fibrous  aggregates. 

Uses. 

Although  the  uses  of  talc  and  soapstone  are  many  and  varied,  some 
of  them  are  not  in  general  well  known  nor  fully  developed;  and 
although  few  of  their  uses  can  justly  be  considered  essential  in  the 
sense  that  no  substitutes  can  be  used,  there  are  several  which  are  of 
great  importance.  The  widest  use  of  talc  is  in  the  powdered  form,  and 
the  value  depends  upon  color  (whiteness),  uniformity,  fineness  of  grain, 
freedom  from  grit,  '  slip, '  and  sometimes  freedom  from  lime.  The  white 
varieties,  free  from  grit  and  iron,  low  in  lime,  ground  to  200-mesh  and 
finer,  are  largely  used  as  a  filler  for  paper,  rubber  and  paint,  and  the 


118 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 


very  highest  grade  as  toilet  powder.  Ground  talc  is  also  used  in 
dressing  and  coating  cloth,  in  making  soap,  rope,  twine,  pipe-covering 
compounds,  heavy  lubricants,  and  polishes.  Ground  talc  and  soapstone 
are  used  for  foundry  facings,  either  alone  or  mixed  with  graphite  and 
a  coarser  grade  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  asphalt-coated  roofing 
felts  and  papers,  both  as  a  filler  and  as  a  surfacing.  Massive  close- 
grained  talc,  free  from  iron  and  grit,  is  cut  into  blanks  and  baked, 
forming  the  material  used  for  gas  tips  and  electrical  insulation,  com- 
monly known  as  'lava.'  Its  hardness,  its  resistance  to  heat,  acids  and 
alkalies,  and  its  great  dielectric  strength  make  it  very  useful  for  electric 
insulation,  and  no  satisfactory  substitute  for  it  has  been  found. 

Massive  varieties  of  talc,  pyrophyllite,  and  high  grades  of  soapstone 
are  cut  into  slate  pencils  and  steel-workers'  crayons.     'French  chalk' 
or  'tailor's  chalk'  is  a  soft,  massive  talc.    In  China,  Japan  and  India, 
massive  talc  (steatite)  is  carved  into  grotesque  images  and  other  forms, 
and  is  often  sold  as  imitation  jade.     Soapstone  is  cut  into  slabs  of  1' 
and  2  inches  in  thickness  and  sold  as  griddles,  footwarmers,  and  fireless- 
cooker  stones,  or  fabricated  into  laundry  sinks  and  tubs,  laboratory- 
table  tops,  hoods,  tanks  and  sinks,  electric  switchboards,  and  for  other] 
uses  in  which  the  properties  of  resistance  to  heat,  acids,  and  alkalies,' 
and  electricity  are  essential. 

Imports. 

Foreign  importations  of  high-grade  white  talc  suitable  for  the  manu- 
facture of  toilet  powder  have  come  mainly  from  Canada,  Italy  and 
France.  Foreign  producers  have  the  benefit  of  cheap  labor,  and  a  lowi 
tariff  import  duty.  In  addition  to  these  disadvantages,  California 
operators  have  to  contend  with  transcontinental  freight  rates  to  the 
eastern  manufacturing  centers.  In  1926  importations  totaled  24,346 
short  tons,  valued  at  $563,799,  compared  with  20,990  tons,  valued  at 
$449,338,  in  1925,  according  to  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Foreign 
and  Domestic  Commerce. 


Talc  Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

Production  was  intermittent  in  the  state  up  to  1912;  but  there  has 
been  a  material  growth  since  1916,  as  shown  in  the  following  table : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1893           -. 

400 

817,750 

1911 

1894  

1912 

1,750 

1,350 

1,000 

1,663 

1,703 

5,267 

11,760 

8,764 

11,327 

8,752 

13,378 

17,439 

16,179 

15,465 

17,004 

7,350 

6,150 

4,500 

14  750 

1895. 

25 

375 

1913 

1896  -.          

1914 

1897 

1915 

1898 

1916 

9,831 

45,279 

85,534 

115  091 

1899  

1917 

1900 

1918 

1901 

10 

14 
219 
228 
300 

119 

288 

10,124 

2,315 

3,000 

1919 

1902  

1920 

221,362 
130  078 

1903 

1921 

1904 

1922 

197  186 

1905 

1923 

252  661 

1906  -           

1924 

242  770 

1907 

1925 

1926. 

239,084 

1908 

3 

33 
740 

48 

280 

7,260 

255,645 

1909__ 

1910 

Totals 

134,773 

$1,868,830 

STATISTICS   OP   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  119 

STRONTIUM. 

Bibliograpliy:  Bulletins  67,  91.    U.  S.  G.  S.,  Bull.  540 ;  660-1. 

There  has  been  no  production  of  strontium  minerals  in  California 
since  1918,  though  in  that  year  both  celestite  (SrSO^),  and  the  car- 
bonate, strontianite  (SrCOo)  were  shipped.  The  first  recorded  com- 
mercial output  of  strontium  minerals  in  California  was  in  1916.  The 
occurrence  of  the  carbonate  is  particularly  interesting  and  valuable,  as 
it  appears  to  be  the  only  considerable  deposit  of  commercial  importance 
so  far  opened  up  in  the  United  States.  Shipments  reported  as  averag- 
ing 80%  SrCOg  have  been  made.  The  deposit  is  associated  with  deposits 
of  barite,  near  Barstow,  San  Bernardino  County.  The  carbonate  has 
also  been  found  in  massive  form  near  Shoshone,  Inyo  County.  In  addi- 
tion to  Imperial  County,  celestite  is  found  near  Calico  and  Ludlow, 
and  in  the  Avawatz  IMountains  in  San  Bernardino  County,  but  as  yet 
undeveloped. 

Production  of  strontium  minerals  in  California,  by  years,  has  been  as 
follows : 


Tear 

Tons 

Value 

1916   

57 
3,050 

2,900 

$2,850 

1917   

37,000 

1918   

33,000 

1919   

Totals 

6,007 

$72,850 

The  principal  use  for  strontium  in  the  United  States  is  in  the  form 
of  the  nitrate  in  the  manufacture  of  red  flares,  or  Costen  and  Bengal 
lights  and  fireworks.  It  is  imported  mainly  from  Germany  and  Eng- 
land. In  Germany  and  Russia,  strontium  in  the  form  of  the  hydroxide 
is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  beet  sugar.  It  is  stated  that  strontia  is 
more  efficient  and  satisfactory  in  that  process  than  lime,  as  it  gives  an 
additional  recovery  of  6%  to  8%. 

Of  the  two  minerals,  strontianite  (carbonate)  and  celestite  (sulphate), 
the  carbonate  is  the  more  desirable  as  it  is  easier  to  convert  to  other 
salts ;  but  it  is  scarcer.  Celestite  is  found  with  limestone  and  sandstone 
and  is  sometimes  associated  with  gypsum.  Strontianite  is  also  found 
with  limestone,  but  associated  with  barite  and  calcite. 

SULPHUR. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  IV,  XIII,  XIV.    Bulle- 
tins 38,  67,  91. 

In  1923-1924  there  was  a  small  production  of  sulphur,  from  a  single 
property  in  Kern  County.  It  was  ground,  and  utilized  as  a  fertilizer 
and  in  dusting  for  mildew.  This  was  the  first  commercial  output  of 
native  sulphur  in  California  for  manj^  years  although  this  mineral  has 
been  found  to  some  extent  in  Colusa,  Imperial,  Inyo,  Kern,  Lake, 
Sonoma,  Tehama,  and  Ventura  counties. 

Sulphur  was  produced  at  the  famous  Sulphur  Bank  mine  in  Lake 
County,  during  the  years  1865-1868  (inc.),  totaling  941  tons,  valued  at 
$53,500;  following  which  the  property  became  more  valuable  for  its 


120  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

quicksilver.    The  Elgin  quicksilver  mine,  near  Wilbur  Springs,  Colusa 
County,  is  a  similar  occurrence. 

The  principal  sources  in  the  United  States  are  the  stratified  deposits 
in  Louisiana  and  Texas,  extraction  being  accomplished  by  a  unique  1 
system  of  wells  with  steam  pipes.  It  is  stated  that  three  large  compa-  " 
nies  operating  there  are  capable  of  producing  more  than  1,000,000  tons 
annually  in  excess  of  our  normal  consumption  in  the  United  States, 
which  averages  about  600,000  tons.  The  mines  at  Freeport,  Texas,  are 
in  a  peculiarly  favorable  location  in  that  they  are  practically  at  tide- 
water. 

Formerly  considerable  sulphur  was  imported  from  Italy  and  from   j 
Japan;  but  the  situation  is  now  reversed,  so  that  in  1926,  a  total  of 
576,966  long  tons,  valued  at  $10,918,394,  was  exported  from  the  United 
States,  principally  to  Europe  and  Canada,   also  Australia  and  New 
Zealand. 


1 


I 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION, 


121 


CHAPTER  SIX. 

SALINES. 

Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  III,  XIV,  XV,  XVII- 
XXIII  (inc.).  Bulletin  24.  Spurr  and  Wormser,  "Marketing 
of  Minerals."  "Non-Metallic  Minerals,"  by  R.  B.  Ladoo.  See 
also  under  each  substance. 

Under  this  heading  are  included  borax,  common  salt,  soda,  potash, 
and  other  alkaline  salts.  The  first  two  have  been  produced  in  a  number 
of  localities  in  California,  more  or  less  regularly  since  the  early  sixties. 
Except  for  a  single  year's  absence,  soda  has  had  a  continuous  produc- 
tion since  1894.  Potash,  magnesium  chloride  and  sulphate,  and  calcium 
chloride  have  been  added  to  the  commercial  list  in  recent  years,  and  in 
1926  joined  by  bromine.    The  nitrates  are  still  prospective. 

Our  main  resources  of  salines  are  the  lake  beds  of  the  desert  regions 
of  Imperial,  Im'o,  Kern,  Los  Angeles,  San  Bernardino,  and  San  Luis 
Obispo  counties,  and  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  total  value  of  this  group  shows  an  increase  to  $5,458,593  in  1926 
over  the  1925  figure  of  $4,386,736  as  detailed  in  the  following  tabula- 
tion: 


Substance 

1925 

1926 

Increase+ 
Decrease — 

Tons 

Value 

Tons 

Value 

Value 

Borates 

46,124 

4,221 

36,355 

284,068 

48,625 

$1,526,938 
132,553 
829,770 
949,826 
947,649 

47,605 

4,881 

32,884 

311,761 

63,333 

$1,625,298 

124,470 

812,285 

1,124,978 

1,305,802 

M65,760 

$98,360+ 

Magnpsiiim  salts 

8,083— 

Potash 

17,485— 

Salt 

175,152+ 

Soda      .                                                 .     - 

358,153  + 

Unapportioned 

465,760+ 

$4,386,736 

$5,458,593 

Net  increase 

$1,071,857+ 

'  Includes  bromine  and  calcium  chlonde. 


BORATES. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  III,  X,  XII-XV  (inc.), 
XVII-XXIII  (inc.).    Bulletins  24,  67,  91. 

During  1926  there  was  produced  in  California  a  total  of  84,101  tons 
of  borate  materials  compared  with  79,865  tons  for  the  year  1925.  The 
materials  shipped  in  1926  included  crude  and  selected  colemanite  ore 
from  Inyo  County  varying  from  19%  to  30%  anhydrous  boric  acid 
('A.B.A.'),  also  crystallized  borax  prepared  by  evaporation  of  brines 
at  Searles  Lake  in  San  Bernardino  County. 

As  the  crude  ore  is  not  sold  as  such,  but  is  almost  entirely  calcined 
before  shipping  to  the  refinery  for  conversion  into  the  borax  of  com- 
merce, and  because  of  the  fact  that  the  material  varied  widely  in  boric 
acid  content,  we  have  recalculated  the  tonnage  to  a  basis  of  40%  A.B.A. 
This  is  approximately  the  average  A.B.A.  content  of  the  colemanite 
material  after  calcining,  and  also  of  the  crystallized  borax  obtained 
from  evaporation  of  the  lake  brines. 


122  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Recalculated  as  above,  the  1926  production  totals  47,605  tons,  valued 
at  $1,625,298,  a  slight  increase  over  the  similar  figures  for  1925  which 
were  46,124  tons  and  $1,526,938. 

Colenianite  is  a  calcium  borate,  and  the  material  mined  is  shipped  to 
seaboard  chemical  plants  for  refining.  The  latest  development  in  the 
borax  industry  is  the  finding  in  quantity  and  opening  up  of  a  new 
borate  mineral  which  bids  fair  to  supplant  colemanite  in  much  the 
same  way  that  the  colemanite  deposits  displaced  the  borax  industry  in 
the  desert  playas  or  dry  lakes,  some  forty  years  ago.  This  new  mineral 
is  'kernite'  (or  'rasorite'),  a  sodium  borate  with  a  smaller  water-of- 
crystallization  content  than  the  'borax'  of  commerce,  so  that  when 
re-crystallized  to  borax,  the  resulting  product  has  an  increased  weight 
over  the  original  material.  These  depo.sits  are  being  opened  up  by  the 
Pacific  Coast  Borax  Companj^  in  southeastern  Kern  County. 

Refined  'borax'  (sodium  tetraborate)  is  used  in  making  the  enameled 
coating  for  cast-iron  and  steelware  employed  in  plumbing  fixtures, 
chemical  equipment,  and  kitchen  utensils.  It  is  also  a  constituent  of 
borosilicate  glasses  which  are  utilized  in  making  lamp  chimneys,  baking 
dishes,  and  laboratory  glassware.  Other  important  uses  of  borax  are 
in  the  manufacture  of  laundry  and  kitchen  soaps,  in  starch,  paper  siz- 
ing, tanning,  welding,  and  in  the  preparation  of  boric  acid,  which  is 
employed  as  an  antiseptic  and  in  preserving  meats.  Among  the  newer 
uses  for  borax  is  its  employment  in  the  preserving  of  citrus  fruits  by 
washing  them  in  a  solution  of  borax,  which  closes  the  pores  of  the  skin. 
The  application  of  this  process  is  increasing  in  California  and  Florida. 
Another  is  as  a  preservative  of  wood,  in  addition  to  which  borax,  being 
non-inflammable,  renders  it  fireproof. 

Total  Production  of  Borate  Materials  in  California. 

Borax  was  first  discovered  in  California  in  the  waters  of  Tuscan 
Springs  in  Tehama  County,  January  8,  1856.  Borax  Lake  in  Lake 
County  was  discovered  in  September  of  the  same  year  by  Dr.  John  A. 
Veaeh.  This  deposit  was  worked  in  1864-1868,  inclusive,  and  during 
that  time  produced  1,181,365  pounds  of  refined  "borax.  The  bulk  of 
it  was  exported  by  sea,  to  New  York.  This  was  the  first  commercial 
output  of  this  salt  in  the  United  States,  and  California  is  still  today 
the  leading  American  producer  of  borax,  having  been  for  many  years 
the  sole  producer. 

Production  from  the  dry  lake  'playa'  deposits  of  Inyo  and  San 
Bernardino  counties  began  in  1873 ;  but  it  was  not  until  1887  that  the 
borax  industry  was  revolutionized  by  the  discovery  of  the  colemanite 
beds  at  Calico,  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  later  similar  beds  in 
Inyo  and  Los  Angeles  counties.  The  colemanite  deposits  of  Ventura 
County  are  at  present  unworked,  owing  to  lack  of  transportation  facili- 
ties. Some  production  of  colemanite  has  been  made  from  deposits 
opened  up  in  Clarke  County,  Nevada. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


123 


The  total  production  of  borate  materials  in  California  is  shown  in 
the  following  table : 


Year 

Tons 

Viilue 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1864 

12 
126 
201 
220 

32 

$9,478 

94,099 

132,538 

156,137 

22,384 

1897 

8,000 

8,300 

20,357 

25,837 

22,221 

al  7,202 
34,430 
45,647 
46,334 
58,173 
53,413 
22,200 
16,628 
16,828 
50,945 
42,135 
58,051 
62,500 
67,004 

103,523 

109,944 
88,772 
66,791 

127,065 
50,136 

b39,087 
62,667 
52,070 
46,124 
47,605 

81,080,000 

1865 

1898. .._ 

1899 

1900       .      

1,153,000 

1866 

1,139,882 

1867 

1,013,251 

1868 

1901   

982,380 

1869 ., 

1902 

2,234,994 

1870 

1903 

661,400 

1871 

1904 

698,810 

1872 

140 

515 

915 

1,168 

1,437 

993 

373 

364 

609 

690 

732 

900 

1,019 

942 

1,285 

1,015 

1,405 

965 

3,201 

4,267 

5,525 

3,955 

5,770 

5,959 

6,754 

89,600 
255,440 
259,427 
289,080 
312,537 
193,705 
66,257 
65,443 
149,245 
189,750 
201,300 
265,500 
198,705 
155,430 
173,475 
116,689 
196,636 
145,473 
480,152 
640,000 
838,787 
593,292 
807,807 
595,900 
675,400 

1905          

1,019,158 

1873 

1906 

1,182,410 

1874 

1907             

1,200,913 

1875 

1908    

1,117,000 

1876   . 

1909 

1,163,960 

1877 

1910        

1,177,960 

1878 . 

1911 

1,456,672 

1879 

1912 

1,122,713 

1880 

1913  

1,491,530 

1881 

1914 

1,483,500 

1882 

1915      .-- 

1,663,521 

1883 

1916 

2,409,375 

1884_ 

1917 

2,561,958 

1885 

1918   

1,867,908 

1886 . 

1919 

1,717,192 

1887 

1920             

2,794,206 

1888 

1921     

1,096,326 

1889 

1922 

1,068,025 

1890  . 

1923          -- 

1,893,798 

1891 

1924   

1,599,149 

1892 

1925 

1,526,938 

1893. 

1926       -- 

1,625,298 

1894 

Totals 

1895 

1,521,478 

S51,572,893 

1896 

»  Refined  borax.    •>  Recalculated  to  40%  'anhydrous  boric  acid'  equivalent  beginning  with  1922. 

BROMINE. 

During  1926,  commercial  production  of  bromine  and  bromine  com- 
pounds was  begun  by  the  California  Chemical  Corporation  in  its  plant 
at  Chula  Vista,  San  Diego  County,  from  salt-works  bittern  waters. 
This  same  plant  has  been  recovering  magnesium  chloride  for  a  number 
of  years.  A  small  amount  of  bromine  was  also  reported  made  at  the 
similar  bittern-water-  plant  of  the  Industrial  Chemical  Company  at 
Newark,  Alameda  County.  The  amount  and  value  of  this  first  year's 
yield  of  bromine  in  California  is  concealed  under  the  'Unapportioned' 
item. 

A  large  part  of  the  bromine  output  of  the  United  States  is  not  sold 
as  bromine,  but  in  the  form  of  potassium  and  sodium  bromides  and 
other  salts.  The  principal  production  in  the  United  States  has  come 
from  bitterns  from  salt  wells  in  Michigan,  Ohio  and  West  Virginia. 

The  best -known  use  of  bromine  is  its  application  in  the  form  of  silver 
bromide  in  photography.  Bromine,  as  such,  was  used  extensively  in 
the  European  War  in  making  asphyxiating  gases.  It  also  has  some  uses 
in  medicine,  particularly  in  the  treatment  of  nervous  diseases. 

CALCIUM   CHLORIDE. 

Bibliography:  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Min.  Res.  1919,  Pt.  II.  Engineer- 
ing and  Contracting,  Roads  &  Streets  monthly  issue,  Feb.  6, 
1924.  'How  to  Maintain  Roads,'  manual  of  instruction  of  Dow 
Chemical  Company. 

Calcium  chloride  is  hygroscopic,  that  is,  it  has  an  affinity  for  water. 


124  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

This  property  is  taken  advantage  of  by  utilizing  this  salt  as  a  drying 
agent.  It  is  also  sprinkled  on  dirt  roads  and  playgrounds  to  keep  down 
dust  b}^  absorbing  moisture.  In  refrigerating  machinery  for  ice  fac- 
tories, meat-packing  houses  and  cold-storage  warehouses,  a  calcium- 
chloride  solution  is  stated  to  have  some  advantages  over  salt  brine.  In 
fire  buckets  this  solution  has  an  advantage  over  pure  water,  in  that  it 
has  a  lower  freezing  point,  does  not  corrode  metal,  and  tends  to  keep 
the  buckets  full  due  to  its  absorbing  moisture  from  the  atmosphere. 
Powdered  calcium  chloride  is  used  in  drying  gases,  fruits  and  vege- 
tables. 


For  dust  prevention  on  roads,  it  is  stated  that  the  flake  form  of  the 
chloride  gives  better  results  than  the  granulated.  Excellent  results 
are  reported  with  the  following  kinds  of  road  surfaces :  gravel,  water 
bound  gravel,  water-bound  macadam,  sand-clay,  clay-sand,  cinders, 
mine  tailings.  It  can  not  be  used  to  advantage  on  roads  of  heavy  clay, 
oil-treated  surfaces,  heavy  rolling  sand,  or  the  ordinary  dirt  road  which 
is  composed  almost  entirely  of  fine  dead  material.  The  last  named 
should  first  have  a  resurfacing  or  application  of  gravel. 

A  very  important  and  growing  use  for  calcium  chloride  is  its  appli- 
cation to  curing  concrete  pavements  instead  of  the  slower  and  more 
expensive  earth  and  water-covering  method.  It  is  stated  that  one 
application  of  the  flake  chloride  will  absorb  a  sufficient  amount  of 
moisture  from  the  air  to  keep  the  pavements  wet  continuously  24  hours 
per  day  when  properly  applied.  There  is  no  need  of  applying  an  earth 
covering  and  hence  no  subsequent  earth  removal,  and  no  extra  water 
pumping,  thereby  eliminating  these  items  of  expense.  Not  only  that, 
but  experience  has  proved  that  the  time  of  set  for  the  concrete  is 
shortened  hy  use  of  the  chloride,  so  that  pavements  so  treated  can  be 
opened  to  traffic  in  one-half  the  time  required  if  cured  by  ponding  or 
by  earth  and  water.  In  the  case  of  patching  broken  pavements,  if 
calcium  chloride  is  mixed  in  with  the  concrete  as  laid,  in  proper  pro- 
portions, and  a  further  application  spread  on  the  finished  surface,  the 
patched  pavement  can  be  opened  to  traffic  in  48  hours  without  injury 
to  the  concrete. 


Total  Calcium  Chloride  Production  of  California. 

Commercial  production  of  calcium  chloride  in  California  was  first 
reported  to  the  State  Mining  Bureau  in  1921,  from  two  plants  in  San 
Bernardino  County,  being  obtained  as  a  by-product  in  the  refining  of 
salt  from  deposits  in  certain  of  the  desert  dry  lakes.  In  1922-1924, 
there  was  only  a  single  operator,  so  that  the  annual  details  are  concealed 
under  the  '  unapportioned '  item. 

^^«'"  Tu7is  Value 

1922) ^^^  $22,980 

1923  (*—' 1.204  26,580 

1924)  ^ 

1925  f  10,988  328,876 

1926  *  * 

Total.s    12,875  $378,436 

,   _  *  Annual  details  concealed  under  'Unapportioned.' 


:s  I 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  125 

MAGNESIUM   SALTS. 

Bibliography :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XX,  XXI.  Bulletin  91. 
'Dictionary  of  Applied  Chemistry,'  bv  Thorpe.  U.  S.  Geol. 
Surv.,  Min.  Res.  of  U.  S. 

The  production  of  magnesium  chloride  and  sulphate  in  California 
during  1926  totaled  4881  tons,  valued  at  $124,470,  a  slight  increase  in 
quantity  but  lower  value  from  the  1925  figures  of  4221  tons  and 
$132,553.    This  was  nearly  all  chloride,  sold  for  use  in  magnesite  stucco 

.  and  cement  mixtures  (Sorel  cement),  also  some  for  'road  liquor.'  It 
was  in  part  marketed  in  the  liquid  form  testing  34°-36°  Baume,  and  in 
part  as  dry  crystals,  and  was  prepared  from  residual  bitterns  at  salt 
plants  in  Alameda,  San  Diego,  and  San  Mateo  counties.    The  sulphate 

1  marketed  was  utilized  for  medicinal  and  bath  purposes. 

With  the  use  of  magnesite  cement  and  stucco  coming  more  into  prom- 
inence in  building  construction  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  the  demand  for 
magnesium  chloride  is  increasing  here;  but  the  domestic  article  has  to 

'i  meet  the  competition  of  the  cheaper,  imported  German  chloride. 

The  average  value  reported  for  the  chloride  produced  in  California 
in  1926  was  approximately  $25.50  per  ton,  f.o.b.  plant. 

Total   Production  of  Magnesium  Salts  in  California. 

Commercial  production  of  magnesium  chloride  in  California  was 
begun  in  1916  by  some  of  the  salt  companies,  from  the  residual  bitterns 
obtained  during  the  evaporation  of  sea  water  for  its  sodium  chloride. 
In  addition,  some  magnesium  sulphate,  or  'epsom  salts'  is  also  made, 
I  annually,  but  in  smaller  amount. 

The  total  production  of  magnesium  salts  in  California,  since  the 
beginning  of  the  industry  here,  is  shown  in  the  following  tabulation : 

Year  Tons  Value 

1916    851  $6,407 

1917  1,064  34,973 

1918  1,008  29,955 

1919  1,616  82,457 

1920  3,150  107,787 

1921  4,153  106,140 

1922  3,036  89,788 

1923  3,662  116,031 

1924  4,823  145,883 

1925  4,221  132,553 

1926  4,881  124,470 


Totals    32,465  $976,444 

NITRATES. 

BiMiogr^aphy :  State  Mineralogist  Report  XV.  Bulletins  24,  67,  91. 
U.  S.  G.  S.,  Press  Bulletin  No..  373,  July,  1918.  Smithsonian 
Inst.,  Publ.  No.  2421,  1916. 

Nitrates  of  sodium,  potassium  and  calcium  have  been  found  in  various 
places  in  the  desert  regions  of  the  state,  but  no  deposit  of  commercial 
value  has  been  developed  as  yet.  It  is  hoped  that  a  closer  search  may 
some  day  be  rewarded  by  workable  discoveries.  At  present  the  princi- 
pal commercial  source  of  nitrates  is  the  Chilean  saltpeter  (sodium 
I  nitrate)  deposits  in  South  America. 

The  fixation  of  atmospheric  nitrogen  electrically  has  been  accom- 
[plished  successfully  in  Germany  and  Scandinavia.     The  possibilities  of 


126  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

cheap  hydro-electric  power  in  California  make  the  subject  one  of 
interest  to  us,  as  we  have  also  the  natural  raw  materials  and  chemicals 
to  go  with  the  power.  Sodium  and  potassium  cyanides  can  be  made  by 
fixation  of  atmospheric  nitrogen  electrically. 

POTASH. 

BibliograpJuj :  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XV,  XVIII,  XX,  XXII. 
Bulletins  24,  67,  91.  U.  S.  G.  S.,  Min.  Res.  1913,  1914,  1915. 
Senate  Doc.  No.  190,  62d  Congress,  2d  Session.  Mining  &  Sci. 
Press,  Vol.  112,  p.  155;  Vol.  114,  p.  789.  Eng.  &  Min.  Jour.- 
Press,  Vol.  117,  p.  557,  Apr.  5,  1924. 

During  1926,  a  total  of  32,884  tons  of  potash  salts  of  all  grades  was 
produced  in  California,  valued  at  $812,285,  compared  with  36,355  tons 
and  $829,770  in  1925.  This  was  in  part  chloride  and  part  from  distil- 
lery slops  char.  The  quality  of  the  product  varied  from  14%  to  58% 
equivalent  KjO  content;  and  the  material  was  sold  principally  for 
fertilizer  manufacture. 

Imports  of  crude  potash  minerals  and  salts  into  the  United  States  m 
in  1926,  according  to  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Foreign  &  Domestic  Com-  " 
merce,  amounted  to  815,715  long  tons,  valued  at  $14,133,079,  compared 
with  820,637  tons  and  $13,050,908  in  1925.     These  materials  consisted 
mainly  of  'manure  salts,'  crude  chloride  (rauriate)  and  sulphate,  and  ^ 
kainite,  all  of  which  are  admitted  duty-free.  ^ 

Quotations  have  recently  ranged  from  $46  per  ton  c.i.f.  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  ports,  for  high-grade  sulphate  (90%-95%),  to  $35  per  ton  for 
muriate  (80%-85%),  and  $19  for  manure  salts  (30%). 

Other  uses  for  potash  salts,  besides  those  noted  above,  are  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  best  liquid  soap  and  some  higher-grade  cake  soaps, 
of  some  finer  grades  of  glass,  and  in  matches.  The  chemical  require- 
ments include  tanning,  dyeing,  metallurgy,  electroplating,  photography 
and  medicine. 


Total  Production  of  Potash  in  California. 

Potash  production  began  commercially  in  California  in  1914,  with  a 
small  yield  from  kelp.  The  bulk  of  the  output  comes  from  deposits  oi 
potash-bearing  residues  and  brines  in  the  old  lake  beds  of  the  desert 
regions,  particularly  Searles  Lake,  San  Bernardino  County.  A  small 
amount  is  made  annually  from  salt-works  bitterns,  and  for  a  time  there 
was  some  from  Portland  cement  dust.  Some  also  is  obtained  from 
molasses  distillery-slops  char. 

The  annual  amounts  and  value  of  these  potash  materials,  since  their 
beginning  in  California  in  1914,  are  shown  by  the  following  table : 

Year  Tons  Value 

1914  10  $460 

1915  1,076  19,391 

1916  17,908         663,605 

1917  129,022        4,202,889 

1918  49,381  6,808,976 

1919  28,118  2,415,963 

1920  26,298   '  1,465,463 

1921  14,806  390,210 

1922  17,776  584,388 

1923  29,597  709,836 

1924  33,107  747,407 

1925  36,355  829,770 

1926  32,884  812,285 


# 


Totals 416,338  $19,656,643 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION. 


127 


SALT. 

Bibliography:  State  Miueralogist  Keports  II,  XII-XV  (inc.), 
XVII-XXIII  (inc.)  ;  Bulletins  24,  67,  91.  U.  S.  Geol.  Snrv., 
Bull.  669.    U.  S.  Bur.  of  Mines,  Bull.  146. 

Most  of  the  salt  production  in  California  is  obtained  by  evaporating 
the  water  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  plants  being  located  on  the  shores  of 
San  Francisco,  Monterey,  and  San  Diego  bays,  and  at  Long  Beach. 
Additional  amounts  are  derived  from  lakes  and  lake  beds  in  the  desert 
regions,  mainly  in  Kern  and  San  Bernardino  counties.  A  small  amount 
of  valuable  medicinal  salts  is  obtained  by  evaporation  of  the  water  of 
Lake  Mono,  Mono  County. 

Distribution  of  the  1926  salt  production  of  California,  by  counties, 
was  as  follows : 

Salt  Production,  by  Counties,  1926. 
County  Tons  Value 

Alameda    202,777  $628,470 

Kern   11,279  41,116 

San  Bernardino 22,522  85,463 

Inyo,  Los  Angeles,  Modoc,  Mono.a  Monterey,  San  Diego,   San 

Mateo*    ' 75,183  369,929 

Totals     311,761  $1,124,978 

"  Medicinal  salts. 

*  Combined  to  conceal  output  of  a  single  operator  in  each. 

The  above  returns  show  an  increase  both  in  tonnage  and  value  over 
the  figures  of  1925  which  were  284,068  tons  and  $949,826,  though 
slightly  below  the  record  of  1924.  There  were  seven  plants  operating  in 
Alameda  County  in  1926,  and  a  total  of  eleven  in  the  other  counties 
tabulated. 


Production  of  Salt  in  California,  by  Years. 

Amount  and  value  of  annual  production  of  salt  in  California  from 
1887  is  shown  in  the  following  tabulation : 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

1887 

28,000 

30.800 

21,000 

8,729 

20,094 

23,570 

50,500 

49,131 

53,031 

64,743 

67,851 

93,421 

82,654 

89,338 

126,218 

115,208 

102,895 

95,968 

77,118 

101,650 

88,063 

5112,000 
92,400 
63.000 
57,085 
90,303 
104,788 
213,000 
140,087 
150,576 
1,53,244 
157,520 
170,855 
149,588 
204,754 
366,376 
205,876 
211,365 
187,300 
141,925 
213,228 
310,967 

1908 

121.764 
155,680 
174,920 
173,332 
185,721 
204,407 
223,806 
169,028 
186,148 
227,825 
212,076 
233,994 
230,638 
197,989 
223,238 
275.979 
318,800 
284,068 
311,761 

$281,469 
414,708 
395,417 
324  255 

1888 

1909 

1889.... 

1910 

1890 . 

1911 

1891 

1912 

383  370 

1892 

1913. 

462,681 
583  .553 

1893 

1914 

1894 

1915 

368,737 
455,695 
584  373 

1895 _ 

1916... _ 

1896 -.  . 

1917 

1897 

1918 

806,328 
896  963 

1898 

1919 

1899 

1920 

972  648 

1900 

1921 

832  702 

1901 

1922 

819 187 

1902 

1923- 

1,130,670 

1,159,137 

949,826 

1,124,978 

1903 

1924 

1925 

1926 

1904.. 

1905 _. 

1906 

Totals 

1907... . 

5,501,156 

$16,442,934 

SODA. 


Bibliography:  State  Mineralogist  Reports  XII,  XIII,  XV,  XVII, 
XVIII,  XX;  Bulletins  24,  67,  91.    U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bull.  717. 

The  production  of  sodium  salts  in  California  in  1926  included :  soda 


128 


MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF   CALIFORNIA. 


ash,  caustic  soda  and  bicarbonate  from  plants  at  Owens  Lake,  Inyo 
County:  trona  ('sesqui-carbonate,'  a  double  salt  of  NagCOg  and 
NaHCOs)  from  Searles  Lake,  San  Bernardino  County.  There  were 
no  shipments  of  salt  cake  (sulphate)  from  the  Carrizo  Plains,  San  Luis 
Obispo  County,  in  1926.  The  total  amounted  to  63,333  tons,  valued  at 
$1,305,802,  being  an  increase  in  both  quantity  and  value  compared  with 
the  1925  figures  of  48,625  tons  and  $947,649. 

The  dense  ash  and  bicarbonate  were  used  mainly  in  the  manufacture 
of  soap,  glass,  and  chemicals ;  and  tlie  trona  for  metallurgical  purposes. 

Sodium  compounds  to  some  extent  replace  potassium  compounds,  in 
glass  and  soap  making,  in  photography,  in  match  making,  in  tanning, 
and  in  the  manufacture  of  cyanide  for  extracting  gold  and  silver  from 
their  ores. 


Soda   Production  of  California,  by  Years. 

The  total  output,  sliowing  amount  and  value  of  these  materials  in 
California  since  the  inception  of  the  statistical  records  of  the  State 
Mining  Bureau,  is  given 


in  the  table  which  follows 


Year 

Tons 

Value 

Year 

Tons 

Value 

J894-... 

1,530 

1,900 

3,000 

5,000 

7.000 

10,000 

1,000 

8,000 

7,000 

18,000 

12.000 

15.000 

12,000 

$20,000 

47,500 

65,000 

110.000 

154.000 

250.000 

50,000 

400.000 

50.000 

27,000 

18,000 

22,500 

18,000 

1912 

7,200 
1,861 
6,522 

5,799 
10,593 
24,505 
20,447 
21,294 
32,407 
14,828 
20,084 
34,885 
32,536 
48,625 
63,333 

$37,094 

1895  .. 

1913 

24,936 

1896 

1914 

115,396 

1897 

1015 

83,485 

1898--.- 

1916 

264,825 

1899 -  - 

1917 

928,578 

1900 

1918 

855,423 

1901 

1919 

1920 

1921 

721,958 

1902 

1,164,898 

1903 

438,996 

1904  . 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 

1926- - 

Totals 

573,661 

1905.  . 

764,284 

1906 

711,796 

1907 

947,649 

1908  . 



9,600 
7,712 
8,125 
9,023 

14,400 
11,593 
11,862 

52,887 

1,305,802 

iqnq 

1910 

1911 ---- 

480,809 

$10,261,523 

I 


STATISTICS   OP    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


129 


CHAPTER  SEVEN. 

BY  COUNTIES. 

Introductory. 

The  State  of  California  includes  a  total  area  of  158,297  square  miles, 
of  which  155,652  square  miles  are  of  land.  The  maximum  width  is 
235  miles,  the  minimum  148  miles,  and  the  length  from  the  northwest 
corner  to  the  southeast  corner  is  775  miles.  The  state  is  divided  into 
fifty-eight  counties.  The  1920  census  figures  show  a  total  population 
for'  California  of  3,437,709.  A  1926  estimate  by  the  State  Controller 
places  the  figure  that  year  at  5,246,729.  Minerals  of  commercial  value 
exist  in  every  county,  and  during  1926  some  active  production  was 
reported  to  the  State  Mining  Bureau  from  all  of  the  fifty-eight. 

Rank  of  Counties  in  Mineral  Yield,  1926. 

Of  the  first  ten  counties,  in  point  of  total  output  for  1926,  the  first 
four,  Los  Angeles,  Kern,  Orange,  Ventura,  owe  their  position  mainly  to 
petroleum,  as  does  also  Fresno  (sixth).  Los  Angeles,  due  to  its  oil, 
leads  all  the  others,  being  credited  with  43%  of  the  entire  state's  total 
value  for  1926,  having  passed  Kern  in  1923,  which  led  for  many  years. 
San  Bernardino  (fifth)  owes  its  place  chiefly  to  cement,  silver,  potash, 
borax,  mineral  water,  and  tungsten;  Riverside  (seventh)  to  cement, 
stone,  brick  and  tile ;  Plumas  to  copper ;  Santa  Cruz  to  cement ;  Nevada 
to  gold.  Twenty -four  counties  have  each  a  total  in  excess  of  a  million 
dollars  for  1926.  Cement  is  an  important  item  in  nine  of  these  counties, 
gold  in  five,  and  magnesite  in  one.  In  point  of  variety  and  diversity, 
San  Bernardino  County  led  all  the  others  in  1926,  with  a  total  of  24 
different  mineral  products  on  its  commercial  list,  followed  by  San 
Diego  with  21 ;  by  Riverside  with  18  ;  Inyo,  17  ;  Los  Angeles  and  Shasta, 
16  each;  Kern,  14;  Orange  and  Tuolumne,  13  each;  Butte,  Calaveras, 
Monterey,  Santa  Barbara,  12  each;  Fresno,  11;  Amador,  Imperial, 
Placer,  Sacramento,  San  Benito,  Siskiyou,  10  each.  The  counties  with 
their  mineral  resources,  production  for  1926,  etc.,  are  considered  in 
detail  in  the  following  paragraphs. 


County 

1.  Los  Angeles $1 

2.  Kern 

3.  Orange 

4.  Ventura 

5.  San  Bernardino 

6.  Fresno    

7.  Riverside 

8.  Plumas 

9.  Santa  Cruz 

10.  Nevada 

11.  Alameda    

12.  Yuba 

13.  Shasta    

14.  Inyo    

15.  Santa  Barbara 

16.  Contra  Costa 

17.  Amador   

18.  San  Benito 

19.  Sacramento 

20.  San    Mateo    

21.  Calaveras    

22.  Solano    

23.  San  Diego 

24.  Santa  Clara 

25.  San  Joaquin 

26.  Humboldt    

27.  Tuolumne    

28.  Trinity 

29.  Sierra 

30.  Marin 

9 — 55185 


Value 

94,358,926 

83,556,074 

63,223,082 

30,208,369 

14,218,475 

6,699,928 

6.194,253 

3,572,628 

3,504,194 

3,240,211 

3,158,474 

2,921,083 

2,886,144 

2,835,834 

2,583,548 

2,610,553 

2,451.500 

2,400,850 

2,243,952 

1,893,853 

1,809,772 

1,770,820 

1,241,324 

1,028,506 

842.000 

706,670 

615,998 

611,797 

569,515 

527,553 


31. 
32. 
33. 
34. 
35. 
36. 
37. 
38. 
39. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 
46. 
47. 
4  8. 
49. 
50. 
51. 
52. 
53. 
54. 
5,'i. 
56. 
57. 
58. 


County 
Siskiyou 


Placer 

Imperial 

Butte    

Madera 

Stanislaus 

Tulare    

Monterey 

Napa    

Mariposa 

El  Dorado  

San  Luis  Obispo 

Sonoma    

Mono    

Merced 

San   Francisco 

Colusa    

Lake 

Del   Norte 

Glenn    

Modoc 

Yolo    

Lassen 

Mendocino 

Tehama 

Kings 

Alpine     

Sutter 


Value 

$494,151 

480,882 

467,314 

461,945 

425,738 

401,997 

397,920 

359.993 

341,571 

319,724 

302,086 

253,294 

222,586 

209,848 

192,665 

112,193 

91,194 

75.692 

70,464 

58,391 

37,991 

20,560 

19,063 

15,800 

10,340 

720 

450 

397 


Total  value $450,330,856 


130  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

ALAMEDA. 

Land  area:  732  square  miles. 
Populaiion:  344,177  (1920  census). 
Location:  East  side  of  San  Francisco  Bay. 

Alameda  County,  while  in  no  sense  one  of  the  'mining  counties,' 
comes  eleventh  on  the  list  with  a  value  of  mineral  products  for  1926 
of  $3,158,474,  an  increase  over  the  1925  total,  which  was  $2,916,506. 
The  mineral  resources  of  this  county  include  asbestos,  brick,  chromite, 
clay,  coal,  limestone,  magnesite,  manganese,  potash,  pyrite,  salt,  soap- 
stone  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1026  w;is  as  follows: 

Substance  Amotcnt  Vahte 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile _^ $808,779 

Clay    (pottery)    5,870  tons  7,183 

Magnesium   salts    916  tons  28,035 

Salt   202,777  tons  G28.470 

Stone,  miscellaneous 1,(!42,618 

Other   minerals  *    43,389 

Total   value    $3,158,474 

*  Includes  bromine  and  pyrites. 

ALPINE. 

Land  area:  776  square  miles. 

PopuJafiov:  243  (1920  census). 

Location:  On  eastern  border  of  state,  south  of  Lake  Tahoe. 

Alpine  has  at  times  in  the  past  shown  a  small  production  mainly  of 
gold  and  silver.  For  1926  the  total  value  was  $450  being  mainly  mis- 
cellaneous stone. 

This  county  lies  just  south  of  Lake  Tahoe,  in  the  high  Sierra  Nevada. 
Transportation  is  by  auto,  wagon,  or  mule  back,  and  facilities  in  general 
are  lacking  to  promote  development  work. 

The  mineral  resources  of  this  section  are  varied  and  the  country  has 
not  yet  been  thoroughly  prospected.  Occurrences  of  barium,  copper, 
gold,  gypsum,  lead,  limestone,  p^a-ito,  rose  quartz,  silver,  tourmaline, 
and  zinc  have  been  noted  here. 


AMADOR. 

Land  area :  601  square  miles. 

Population:  7793  (1920  census). 

Location:  East-central  part  of  state — Mother  Lode  district. 

The  value  of  Amador  County's  mineral  production  decreased  from 
$2,625,703  in  1925  to  $2,451,500,  placing  it  number  seventeen  on  the 
list  of  counties  in  the  state  as  regards  total  value  of  mineral  substances 
marketed.    The  decrease  was  due  mainly  to  gold. 

Although  having  an  output  consisting  of  10  different  minerals,  the 
leading  product,  gold,  makes  up  approximately  78%  of  the  total  value 
for  the  j^ear. 

Amador  at  one  time  led  the  state  in  gold  production,  though  exceeded 
in  1920-1923  and  in  1926  by  Yuba  and  Nevada  counties,  but  in  1925 
by  Yuba  County  only. 


\ 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  131 

The  mineral  resources  of  this  county  include  asbestos,  brick,  chro- 
mite,  clay,  coal,  copper,  gold,  limestone,  quartz  crystals,  glass-sand, 
sandstone,  silver,  soapstone,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows: 

Substance                                                                                 Amount  Value 

Brick   and   clay $237,792 

Gold    2,167,275 

Lead 1,267  lbs.  101 

Silver   21,510  fine  oz.  13,422 

Stone,  miscellaneous 24,900 

Other  minerals  * 8,010 


Total   value   $2,451,500 

*  Includes  coal,  copper,  marble. 

BUTTE. 

Land  area:  1722  square  miles. 
Population:  30,030  (1920  census). 
Location:  North-central  portion  of  state. 

Butte,  thirty-fourth  county  in  California  in  regard  to  the  value  of 
its  mineral  output,  reported  a  commercial  production  of  twelve  mineral 
substances,  having  a  total  value  of  $461,945,  as  compared  with  $546,178 
in  1925.  As  will  be  noted  in  the  following  tabulation,  gold  is  by  far 
the  most  important  item.  Butte  stands  eighth  among  the  gold- 
producing  counties  of  the  state.  Among  the  mineral  resources  of  this 
section  are  asbestos,  barytes,  chromite,  gems,  gold,  limestone,  marble, 
mineral  water,  platinum  group,  silver  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  value  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Suhstance  Amount  Value 

Brick 273  M.  $4,316 

Gems    (diamonds)    175 

Gold     287,853 

Platinum    ; 10   fine  oz.  954 

Silver    4,803   fine  oz.  2,997 

Stone,  miscellaneous 147,604 

Other   minerals  *    18.046 

Total  value $461,945 

*  Includes  clay  (pottery),  mineral  water,  natural  gas,  soapstone. 


CALAVERAS. 

Land  area :  1027  square  miles. 

Population:  6183  (1920  census). 

Location:  East-central  portion  of  state — Mother  Lode  district. 

Calaveras  County  reported  production  of  twelve  different  minerals, 
valued  at  $1,809,772,  during  the  year  1926,  as  compared  with  the  1925 
output  of  $1,450,618.  Copper,  gold,  cement  and  stone  are  the  chief 
mineral  substances.  In  regard  to  total  value  of  mineral  output,  Cala- 
veras stands  twenty-first  among  the  counties  of  the  state,  for  1926,  and 
fifth  in  gold. 

The  principal  mineral  resources  developed  and  undeveloped  are: 
Asbestos,  chromite,  clay,  copper,  fuller's  earth,  gold,  limestone,  marble, 
mineral  paint,  mineral  water,  platinum  group,  pyrite,  quartz  crystals, 
silver,  soapstone,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 


132  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Commercial  output  for  1926  was  as  follows: 

Hnhstance                                                                '                 Amount  Value 

Copper     5,240,927  $733,730 

Gold     576,889 

Silver    9,983  fine  oz.                        6,229 

Stone,  miscellaneous 59,000 

Other   minerals  * 433,924 

Total   value    $1,809,772 

*  Includes  cement,  pottery  clay,  gems  (quartz  crystals),  lead,  mineral  water, 
soapstone. 

COLUSA. 

Land  area:  1140  square  miles. 
FopulaUon:  9920  (1920  census). 
Location:  Sacramento  Valley. 

Colusa  County  lies  largrely  in  the  basin  of  the  Sacramento  Valley. 
Its  western  border,  however,  rises  into  the  foothills  of  the  Coast  Ranp:e 
of  mountains,  and  its  mineral  resources — lars:ely  undeveloped — include 
coal,  chromite,  copper,  gj-psum,  manganese,  mineral  water,  pyrite, 
quicksilver,  sandstone,  miscellaneous  stone,  sulphur,  and  in  some  places 
traces  of  gold  and  silver. 

The  value  of  the  1926  production  was  $91,194,  a  decrease  from  the 
1925  figures  of  $103,230,  giving  it  forty-seventh  place,  and  was  as 
follows : 

Substance  Value      i\ 

Stone,    miscellaneous    $75,167 

Unapportioned    16,027 

Total  value $91,194 


CONTRA  COSTA. 

Land  area:  714  square  miles. 
Population:  53,889  (1920  census). 
Location:  East  side  of  San  Francisco  Bay. 

Contra  Costa,  like  Alameda  County,  lies  on  the  eastern  shore  of  San 
Francisco  Bay,  and  is  not  commonly  considered  among  the  mineral 
producing  counties  of  the  state.  It  stands  sixteenth  on  the  list  in  this 
respect,  however,  with  an  output  valued  at  $2,610,553  for  the  calendar 
year  1926.  Various  structural  materials  make  up  the  chief  items, 
including  brick,  cement,  limestone,  and  miscellaneous  stone.  Among 
the  others  are  asbestos,  clay,  coal,  gypsum,  manganese,  mineral  water, 
and  soapstone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Value 

Clay  and  clay  products $448,584 

Stone,   miscellaneous 766,921 

Other    minerals  *    1,395,048 

Total   value    $2,610,553 

♦Includes  cement,  limestone,  mineral  water. 

DEL    NORTE. 

Land  area:  1024  square  miles. 

Population:  21^^  (1920  census). 

Location:  Extreme  northwest  corner  of  state. 


I 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  133 

Transportation:    Motor,    wagon    and   mule    back;    steamer    from 
Crescent  City. 


Del  Norte  almost  rivals  Alpine  County  in  regard  to  inaccessibility. 
Like  the  latter  county  also,  given  transportation  and  kindred  facilities, 
this  portion  of  the  state  presents  a  field  for  development  along  mining 
lines  especially.  Its  chief  mineral  resources,  largely  untouched,  are 
chromite,  copper,  gems,  gold,  iron,  platinum  group,  silver,  and  miscel- 
laneous stone. 

The  1926  output  was  a  decrease  from  the  figure  of  $270,582  in  1925, 
the  principal  item  of  which  is  crushed  rock  used  on  highway  construc- 
tion, and  rock  used  on  the  Crescent  City  harbor  jetty. 

Commercial  production  for  1926,  giving  it  forty-ninth  place,  was  as 
follows : 

Substance                                                                                              Amount  Value 

Gold __-_ •  $1,078 

Platinum   10  fine  oz.  1,132 

Silver    6   fine  oz.  4 

Stone,    miscellaneous 68,250 

Total  value $70,464 

EL    DORADO. 

Land  area:  1753  square  miles. 
Population:  6426  (1920  census). 

Location:  East-central  portion  of  the  state,  northernmost  of  the 
Mother  Lode  counties. 

El  Dorado  County,  which  contains  the  locality  where  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia was  first  heralded  to  tlie  world,  comes  forty-first  on  the  list  of 
counties  ranked  according  to  the  value  of  their  total  mineral  production 
during  the  year  1926.  In  addition  to  the  segregated  figures  here  given, 
a  large  tonnage  of  limestone  is  annually'-  shipped  from  El  Dorado  for 
use  in  cement  manufacture,  and  whose  value  is  included  in  the  state 
total  for  cement.  The  decrease  from  the  1925  figure  of  $352,828  was 
due  to  limestone. 

The  mineral  resources  of  this  section,  many  of  them  undeveloped, 
include  asbestos,  barytes,  chromite,  clay,  copper,  gems,  gold,  iron, 
molybdenum,  limestone,  quartz  crystals,  quicksilver,  slate,  soapstone, 
silver,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                      Amount  Value 

Gold     $91,789 

Limestone    59,386   tons  186,702 

Silver    756   fine  oz.  472 

Stone,   miscellaneous 17,510 

Other   minerals  *    5|613 

Total    value    $302,086 

*  Includes  lime,  silica,  slate 

FRESNO. 

Land  area:  5950  square  miles. 
Population:  128,779  (1920  census). 
Location:  South-central  portion  of  state. 

Fresno  County,  sixth  in  importance  as  a  mineral  producer  among  the 
counties  of  California,  reported  an  output  for  1926  of  eleven  mineral 


134  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

substances  with  a  total  value  of  $6,699,928,  a  decrease  from  the  reported 
1925  production,  which  was  worth  $9,264,996. 

The  Taulk  of  the  above  is  derived  from  the  petroleum  production  of 
the  Coalinga  field,  with  miscellaneous  stone  also  important. 

The  mineral  resources  of  this  county  are  many,  and,  aside  from  crude 
oil,  are  in  the  main  not  fully  developed.  They  include  asbestos,  barytes, 
brick,  chromite,  copper,  gems,  gold,  graphite,  gypsum,  magnesite, 
natural  gas,  petroleum,  quicksilver,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amoxmt  Value 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $87,493 

Gold    8,595 

Granite     17,880  cu.  ft.  78,624 

Natural    gas    1,920,489  M  cu.  ft.  153,726 

Petroleum    7,340,102   bbls.  5,982,183 

Silver    84  fine  oz.  52 

Stone,    miscellaneous 388,555 

Other  minerals 800 

Total    value    $6,699,928 


GLENN. 

Land  area:  1259  square  miles. 
Popidation:  11,853  (1920  census). 
Location :  West  side  of  Sacramento  Valley. 

Glenn  County,  standing  fiftieth,  owes  its  position  among  the  mineral- 
producing  counties  of  the  state  mainly  to  the  presence  of  large  deposits 
of  sand  and  gravel  which  are  annually  worked,  the  product  being  used 
for  railroad  ballast,  etc.  In  1917  and  1918,  chromite  was  also  an  impor- 
tant item.  In  the  foothills  in  the  western  portion  of  the  county,  deposits 
of  chromite,  copper,  manganese,  sandstone,  and  soapstone  have  been 
found. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows,  being  a  decrease 
from  the  $92,288  of  the  previous  year : 

Suistance  Value 

Stone,    miscellaneous    $58,391 


HUMBOLDT. 

Land  area:  3634  square  miles. 
Poptdation:  31,857  (1920  census). 

Location:   Northwestern   portion   of   state,    bordering   on   Pacific 
Ocean. 

Humboldt  County  is  almost  entirely  mountainous,  transportation^ 
within  its  limits  being  very  largely  by  auto  and  wagon  road,  and  trail, 
and  until  recent  years  was  reached  from  the  outside  world  by  steamer 
only.  The  county  is  rich  in  mineral  resources,  among  which  are  brick, 
chromite,  coal,  clay,  copper,  gold,  iron,  mineral  water,  natural  gas, 
IDctroleum,  platinum,  silver,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Nine  mineral  substances,  as  shown  by  the  table  given  below,  having 
a  total  value  of  $706,670,  were  produced  in  1926,  as  compared  with  the 
1925  output  of  $719,151.  The  main  item  is  the  large  amount  of  rock 
being  used  in  jett;^  construction  at  Humboldt  Bay  (Eureka  Harbor). 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  135 

Humboldt  ranks  twenty-sixth  among  the  counties  of  the  state  for  the 
year. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                        Amount  Vahie 

Brick  and  clay --  $4,052 

Gold 1,243 

Silver 30   fine  oz.  6 

Stone,   miscellaneous --  700,736 

Other   minerals  *    --  633 

Total  value $706,070 

*  Includes  natural  gas  and  platinum. 


IMPERIAL. 

Land  area:  4089  square  miles. 

Population:  43,383  (1920  census). 

Location:  Extreme  southeast  corner  of  the  state. 

Durino"  1926  Imperial  County  produced  ten  mineral  substances  hav- 
ing a  total  value  of  $467,314,  an  increase  over  the  1925  output  of  $330,- 
965.  Its  rank  is  thirty-third.  This  county  contains  deposits  of  cyanite, 
gold,  gj^psum,  lead,  manganese,  marble,  pumice,  salt,  silver,  sodium,  and 
strontium,  largely  undeveloped. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                    Amount  Value 

Gold $238 

Silver 31  fine  oz.  19 

Stone,   miscellaneous 312,130 

Other    minerals  * 154,927 

Total  value - $467,314 

*  Includes  brick,  cyanite,  gypsum,  lead,  pumice. 


INYO. 

Land  area:  10,019  square  miles. 
Population:  7031  (1920  census). 

Location:  Lies  on  eastern  border  of  state,  north  of  San  Bernardino 
County. 

Inyo,  the  second  largest  county  in  the  state,  and  containing  less  than 
one  inhabitant  per  square  mile,  is  extremely  interesting  from  a  mineral- 
ogical  point  of  view.  It  is  noted  because  of  the  fact  that  within  its 
borders  are  located  both  the  highest  point,  Mount  Whitney  (elevation 
14,502  feet),  and  the  lowest  point,  Death  Valley  (elevation  290  feet 
below  sea  level),  in  the  United  States.  In  the  higher  mountainous 
sections  are  found  many  vein-forming  minerals,  and  in  the  lake  beds  of 
Death  Valley  saline  deposits  exist. 

Inyo's  mineral  production  during  the  year  3926  reached  a  value  of 
$2,835,834,  standing  fourteenth  among  the  counties  of  the  state  in  this 
respect.  Seventeen  different  mineral  substances  were  produced.  The 
1925  value  was  $2,585,145,  the  increase  being  due  mainly  to  soda  and 
borates.  Its  mineral  resources  include  antimony,  asbestos,  barytes, 
borates,  copper,  dolomite,  gems,  gold,  gypsum,  lead,  marble,  soda, 
sulphur,  talc,  tungsten,  and  zinc. 


136  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                   Amount  Value 

Copper     42,462  lbs.  $5,945 

Puller's  earth 2,275  tons  20,130 

Gold 26,871 

Lead    6,541,741  lbs.  523,339 

Pumice    300  tons  1,750 

Silver    124,508  fine  oz.  77,693 

Soda    60,473   tons  1,232,081 

Stone,   miscellaneous 12,000 

Talc 6,487  tons  98,563 

Zinc   76,889  lbs.  5,767 

Other    minerals* 831,695 

Total   value    $2,835,834 

*  Includes  borates,  building  stone  (tuff),  dolomite,  gems,  limestone,  salt,  tungsten 
concentrates. 

KERN. 

Land  at'ea:  8003  square  miles. 
Population:  54,843  (1920  census). 
Location :  South-central  portion  of  state, 

Kern  County,  because  of  its  immensely  productive  oil  fields,  for  many 
years  stood  preeminent  among  all  counties  of  California  in  the  value  of 
its  mineral  output,  the  exact  figures  for  1926  being  $83,556,074.  Kern 
was  surpassed  by  both  Los  Angeles  and  Orange  counties  in  1923,  but  by 
Los  Angeles,  only,  in  1924-1926,  for  which  petroleum  is  also  responsible. 
The  1925  mineral  output  for  this  county  was  worth  $89,400,726.  The 
decrease  was  due  to  a  smaller  quantity  of  crude  oil.  During  1926  four- 
teen different  mineral  substances  were  produced. 

Among  the  mineral  resources  developed  and  undeveloped,  of  this 
section  are  antimony,  asphalt,  borax,  brick,  clay,  cement,  copper,  feld- 
spar, fuller's  earth,  gems,  gold,  gj^psum,  iron,  lead,  limestone,  magne- 
site,  marble,  mineral  paint,  natural  gas,  petroleum,  potash,  pumice, 
salt,  silica,  silver,  soapstone,  soda,  sulphur,  and  tungsten. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                            Amount  Value 

Brick    4,591  M  $55,140 

Gold    135,508 

Natural    gas    44,182,140  M  cu.  ft.  2,158,867 

Petroleum     54,549,646   bbls.  78,987,887 

Salt    11,279  tons  41,116 

Silver    7,479  fine  oz.  4,667 

Stone,    miscellaneous 28,000 

Other  minerals* 2,144,889 

Total   value   $83,556,074 

*  Includes  cement,  feldspar,  fuller's  earth  (filtering  clay),  gypsum,  lime,  pumice, 
silica. 

KINGS. 

La7id  area:  1559  square  miles. 
Population:  22,031  (1920  census). 
Location:  South-central  portion  of  the  state. 

Little  development  has  taken  place  in  Kings  County  along  mineral 
lines  to  date.  Deposits  of  fuller's  earth,  gypsum,  mineral  paint, 
natural  gas,  and  quicksilver,  of  undetermined  extent,  have  been  found 
in  the  county.  Drilling  for  oil  has  been  under  way,  and  commercial 
output  recorded  for  the  first  time  in  1926. 

Tulare  Lake  is  in  Kings  County,  though  now  largely  drained,  and  the 
land  under  cultivation. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  137 

In  fifty-sixth  place,  commercial  mineral  production  in  this  county  for 
1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Natural    gas    470  M  cu.  ft.  $245 

Other    minerals 475 

Total   value    $720 

LAKE. 

Land  area:  1278  square  miles. 
Population:  5542  (1920  census). 

Location:  About  fifty  miles  north  of  San  Francisco  Bay  and  the 
same  distance  inland  from  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

On  account  of  its  topography  and  natural  beauties,  Lake  County  is 
sometimes  referred  to  as  the  Switzerland  of  America.  The  mineral 
resources  which  exist  here  are  many  and  varied,  actual  production 
being  comparatively  small,  as  shown  by  the  table  below,  and  in  the  past 
composed  mainly  of  quicksilver  and  mineral  water.  Some  of  the  leading- 
minerals  found  in  this  section,  in  part  as  yet  undeveloped,  are  asbestos, 
borax,  chromite,  clay,  copper,  gems,  gold,  gypsum,  mineral  water,  quick- 
silver, silver,  and  sulphur. 

In  forty-eighth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                            Amount  Value 

Mineral    water    57,000  gals.  $58,235 

Quicksilver     86  flasks  7,778 

Other    minerals*    9,680 

Total   value $75,693 

*  Includes  natural  gas  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

LASSEN. 

Land  area:  4531  square  miles. 
Population:  8507  (1920  census). 
Location:  Northeast  portion  of  state. 

Lassen  County  is  one  of  the  only  partly-developed  sections  of  Cali- 
fornia. Since  about  1912  a  railroad  traversing  the  county  north  and 
south  has  been  in  operation,  thus  affording  opportunity  for  development 
along  mineral  and  other  lines. 

Among  the  mineral  resources  of  this  county  are  copper,  gems,  gyp- 
sum, gold,  silver,  and  sulphur.  In  the  past,  some  gold  had  been  pro- 
duced, but  not  for  some  years,  until  1921,  when  the  yield  again  became 
important.  In  fifty-third  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was 
as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                           Amount  Value 

Gold _  $67 

Silver 1   fine  oz.  1 

Stone,  miscellaneous 18,995 

Total  value $19,063 

LOS  ANGELES. 

Land  area:  4067  square  miles. 

Population:  936,438  (1920  census). 

Location:  One  of  the  southwestern  coast  counties. 

Mineral    production    in   Los   Angeles    County    for    the    year    1926 


138  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

amounted  in  value  to  $194,358,926,  as  compared  with  the  1925  output, 
worth  $193,180,000.  This  accounts  for  43%  of  the  entire  state's  total  for 
]  926,  and  ranks  Los  Angeles  County  first  in  the  state  as  a  mineral  pro- 
ducer, having  in  1924  passed  Kern  County,  which  had  been  leading  for 
several  years.  The  advance  in  1926  was  due  to  higher  petroleum  prices, 
in  spite  of  a  decrease  in  quantity. 

Its  output  of  brick  and  tile  was  over  three  million  dollars,  and  that 
of  petroleum  amounted  to  over  one  hundred  and  seventy-four  million 
dollars.  Among  the  mineral  resources  may  be  noted  asphalt,  barytes, 
borax,  brick,  clay,  fuller's  earth,  gems,  gold,  gypsum,  infusorial  earth, 
limestone,  marble,  mineral  paint,  mineral  water,  natural  gas,  petroleum, 
salt,  glass-sand,  sandstone,  serpentine,  silver,  soa])stone,  and  miscella- 
neous stone.     Some  i)()tash  has  been  obtained  from  kel]). 

Commercial  production  for  1926,  consisting  of  16  substances,  was  as 
follows : 

Substance  Amount 

Brick     238,326   M 

Building  tile    (hollow)    21,471  tons 

Clay    (pottery)    86,767   tons 

Gold    

Lead 1,104,507  lbs. 

Mineral    water    4,026,465   gals. 

Natural    gas    91,054,793   M  cu.  ft. 

Petroleum     105,826,337  bbls. 

Silver    68,362   fine  oz. 

Stone  miscellaneous 

Zinc     2,564,188   lbs. 

Other  minerals  *    


Value 

$2,954,067 

192,408 

99,076 

94 

88,361 

200,459 

8,965,307 

-  174,084,324 

42,658 

7,472,884 

192,314 

66,974 

I 
I 


Total    value    , ?194,358,926i 

*  Includes  building  stone   (tuff),  limestone    (marl),  salt. 

MADERA. 

Land  area:  2112  st^uare  miles. 
Population:  12,203  (1920  census). 
Location:  East-central  portion  of  state. 

Madera  County  produced  six  different  mineral  substances  during  the 
year  1926,  having  a  total  value  of  $425,738,  as  compared  with  the  1925 
output  worth  $1,377,458,  the  decrease  being  due  to  granite.  This  county 
contains  deposits  of  copper,  gold,  granite,  iron,  lead,  molybdenum, 
])umice,  silver,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

In  thirty-fifth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Gold ,         $1,708 

Granite    418,683 

Silver 35  fine  oz.                              22 

Stone,   miscellaneous   __  5,325 


Total  value $425,738 

MARIN. 

Land  area:  529  square  miles. 

Population:  27,342  (1920  census). 

Location:  Adjoins  San  Francisco  on  the  north. 

Mineral  production  in  Marin  County  during  1926  amounted  to  $527,- 
553,  being  an  increase  over  the  1925  figure  of  $434,802,  due  to  crushed 
rock.  This  county  is  not  especially  prolific  in  minerals,  although  among 
its  resources  along  these  lines  are  brick,  gems,  manganese,  mineral  water, 
soapstone,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  '  139 

In  thirtieth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was : 

Substance  Value 

Stone,    miscellaneous    $413,712 

Other  minerals  *   113,841 

i  Total    value    $527,553 

*  Includes  brick  and  mineral  water. 

MARIPOSA. 

Land  area:  1463  square  miles. 
Population:  2775  (1920  census). 

Location:  Most  southerly   of  the  Mother  Lode   counties.     East- 
central  portion  of  state. 

Mariposa  County  is  one  of  the  distinctly  'mining'  counties  of  the 
state,  although  it  stands  but  fortieth  on  the  list  of  counties  in  regard  to 
the  value  of  its  mineral  output  for  1926,  with  a  total  of  $319,724,  as 
compared  with  the  1925  figure  of  $634,862,  the  decrease  being  due 
mainly  to  stone. 

Its  mineral  resources  are  varied;  among  the  more  important  items 
being  barytes,  copper,  gems,  gold,  lead,  marble,  silver,  slate,  soapstone, 
and  miscellaneous  stone. 

The  Yosemite  Valley  is  in  Mariposa  County. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Suhstuiice  Amount  Value 

Gold    $182,313 

Silver    2,433   fine  oz.  1,518 

Stone,    miscellaneous    130,804 

Other  minerals  * 5,089 

Total  value $319,724 

*  Includes  barytes,  copper,  pyrites. 

MENDOCINO. 

Land  area:  3453  square  miles. 
Population:  24,116  (1920  census). 

Location:  Joins  Humboldt  County  on  the  south  and  bounded  by  the 
Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west. 

Mendocino's  annual  mineral  production  has  usually  been  small,  the 
1926  output  being  valued  at  $15,800,  ranking  it  fifty-fourth  among  the 
counties.    That  of  1925  was  worth  $16,533. 

Deposits  of  in  part  undetermined  value  of  asbestos,  chromite,  coal, 
copper,  graphite,  magnesite,  and  mineral  water  have  been  found,  as 
well  as  traces  of  gold,  platinum,  and  silver. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Suistance  Value 

Stone,  miscellaneous $15,750 

Other  minerals 50 

Total  value $15,800 

MERCED. 

Land  area:  1995  square  miles. 

Population:  24,579  (1920  census). 

Location:  About  the  geographical  center  of  the  state. 

Merced  County  as  a  whole  lies  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  and  it 
figures  as  one  of  the  lesser  mineral  producing  counties  of  the  state. 


140  MINERAL    INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

The  1926  mineral  output  was  valued  at  $192,665  compared  with  $80,262 : 
in  1925,  the  increase  being  due  to  miscellaneous  stone. 

Gold,  platinum,  and  silver  were  formerly  obtained  in  important 
amounts  by  dredging,  which  ceased  in  this  county  in  1918,  though  a 
small  yield  from  other  sources  is  still  occasionally  had.  Undeveloped 
deposits  of  antimony,  magnesite,  quicksilver,  and  limestone  have  been 
noted  in  tliis  county  in  addition  to  the  foregoing. 

In  forty-fifth  place,  commercial  production  during  1926  was  as 
follows : 

Substance  Value 

Clay  and  clay  products $36,179 

Stone,    miscellaneous    156,486 

Total  value $192,665, 


MODOC. 

Land  area:  3823  sijuare  miles. 

Population:  5i25  (1920  census). 

Location :  The  extreme  northeast  corner  of  the  state.  I 

Modoc  County,  like  Lassen,  has  only  in  recent  years  had  the  benefit 
of  communication  with  the  outside  world  by  rail.  Among  its  known 
mineral  resources  are  claj^  coal,  gold,  iron,  quicksilver,  salt,  and  silver. 

In  fif ty-first  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Gold $158 

Silver     5  fine  oz.                             3 

Stone,   miscellaneous 36,450 

Other  minerals -  1,380 


Total    value    $37,991 


MONO. 

Land  area:  3030  square  miles. 

Fopidation:  960  (1920  census). 

Location :  Is  bordered  by  the  state  of  Nevada  on  the  east  and  is 

about  in  the  central  portion  of  the  state  measured  on  a  north  and 

south  line. 


i 


Gold  mining  has  been  carried  on  in  portions  of  Mono  County  for 
many  years,  although  taken  as  a  whole  it  lies  in  a  somewhat  inaccessible 
country  so  far  as  rail  transportation  is  concerned.  It  is  in  the  continu- 
ation of  the  highly  mineralized  belt  which  was  noted  in  Inyo  County 
and  contains  among  other  mineral  resources  barytes,  clay,  copper,  gold, ' 
limestone,  molybdenum,  pumice,  salt,  silver,  and  travertine. 

In  forty-fourth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows: 

Substance                                                                                        Amount  Value 

Copper    2,628  lbs.  $368 

Gold 20,204 

Lead     20,906  lbs.  1,672 

Silver    194,557   fine  oz.  121,404 

Stone,  miscellaneous 1,600 

Other   minerals*    64,600 


Total  value ,, $209,848 

*  Includes  onyx,  pumice,  salt,  silUmanite-andalusite. 


I 


I 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  141 

MONTEREY. 

Land  area:  3330  square  miles. 
Population:  27,980  (1920  census). 

Location:    West-central    portion    of    state,    bordering-    on    Pacific 
Ocean. 

Monterey  County  produced  twelve  mineral  substances  during  the 
year  1926,  having  a  total  value  of  $359,993,  as  compared  with  the  1925 
output,  worth  $277,721,  the  increase  being  due  to  miscellaneous  stone. 
Its  mineral  resources  include  brick,  clay,  copper,  coal,  diatomaceous 
earth,  dolomite,  feldspar,  fuller's  earth,  gold,  gypsum,  limestone, 
mineral  water,  petroleum,  quicksilver,  glass-sand,  sandstone,  silver,  and 
miscellaneous  stone. 

In  thirty-eighth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                        Amount  Value 

Clay    (pottery)    '____ 491  tons  $1,164 

Gold 706 

Silver 5   fine  oz.  3 

Stone,   miscellaneous 263,244 

Other    minerals* 94,876 


Total  value $359,993 

*  Includes  diatomaceous  earth,   dolomite,  salt,    'sandstone"    (shale   building  stone), 
silica   (glass-sand). 

NAPA. 


I 


Land  area:  783  square  miles. 
Population:  20,678  (1920  census). 

Location:  Directly  north  of  San  Francisco  Bay — one  of  the  'bay 
counties. ' 


Napa,  because  of  its  production  of  structural  and  industrial  materials 
and  mineral  water,  stands  thirty-ninth  on  the  list  of  mineral-producing 
counties  in  California.  Its  mineral  resources  include  chromite,  copper, 
magnesite,  mineral  water,  quicksilver,  sandstone,  and  miscellaneous 
stone.  In  the  past  this  county  has  been  one  of  the  important  producers 
of  quicksilver. 

In  1926  the  value  of  the  output  increased  to  $341,571  from  the  1925 
figure  of  $229,172. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Gold    $7,817 

Mineral    water    80,376   gals.  49,468 

Silver    81,116   fine  oz.  50,616 

Stone,    miscellaneous    207,882 

Other  minerals  *    25,788 


Total  value $341,571 

*  Includes  copper  and  quicksilver. 

NEVADA. 

Land  area:  974  square  miles. 

Popidation:  10,860  (1920  census). 

Location:  North  of  Lake  Talioe,  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  state. 

Nevada,  one  of  the  mountain  counties  of  California,  for  some  years 
alternated  with  Amador  in  the  gold  lead,  but  both  were  passed  by  Yuba 
in  1918-1921,  also  1923.  In  1922  and  1924,  Nevada  led,  but  dropped  to 
third  place  in  1925,  regaining  second  in  1926.  Nevada  County  stands 
tenth  on  the  list  in  regard  to  value  of  its  total  mineral  output  with  a 


142  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

figure  of  $3,240,211,  as  compared  with  the  1925  production,  worth 
$2,352,877.  The  increase  is  due  mainly  to  miscellaneous  stone,  but  in 
part  to  gold. 

While  this  county  actually  produces  mainly  gold  and  silver,  its 
resources  cover  a  wide  scope,  including  antimony,  asbestos,  barytes, 
chromite,  clay,  copper,  gems,  iron,  lead,  mineral  paint,  pyrites,  soap- 
stone,  and  tungsten. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Gold $2,318,846 

Lead    4,301  lbs.                                   344 

Silver     48,101  fine  oz.                      30,015 

Stone,   miscellaneous   850,000 

Other  minerals  * 41,006 


Total   value    $3,240,211     , 

*  Includes  barytes,  copper,  granite. 

ORANGE. 

Land  area:  795  square  miles. 

Population:  61,375  (1920  census). 

Location:  Southwestern  portion  of  state,  bordering  Pacific  Ocean. 

Orange  County  is  one  of  the  many  in  California  which  on  casual 
inspection  appears  to  be  anything  but  a  mineral  producing  section.  It 
stood  for  several  years,  however,  as  the  second  county  in  the  state  in 
regard  to  the  total  value  of  mineral  output,  on  account  of  its  highly 
productive  oil  fields.  It  was  passed  in  1922  by  Los  Angeles,  the  credit 
for  which  is  also  due  to  oil,  and  in  turn  Orange  passed  Kern  County  in 
1923,  but  dropped  back  to  third  in  1924-1926. 

This  county  shoAvs  an  increase  in  1926,  with  a  total  value  of  mineral  I 
products  of  $63,223,082,  compared  to  the  1925  output,  worth  $49,104,- 
490,  due  to  petroleum.     Orange  passed  Shasta  County  in  1917,  which 
previously  for  a  number  of  years  had  exceeded  all  other  counties  in 
California,  except  Kern. 

Aside  from  the  substances  actually  produced  and  noted  in  the  table 
below,  coal,  gypsum,  iron,  infusorial  earth,  sandstone,  and  tourmaline 
have  been  found  in  Orange  County. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows :  i 

Siibstance                                                                               Ainount  Value 

Brick     6,272   M  $72,489 

Clay    (pottery)   13,150  tons  38,989 

Gold    60 

Lead    5,176  lb.  414 

Natural    gas    33,276,379   M  cu.  ft.  3,556,194 

Petroleum    37,989,349   bbls.  59,225,395 

Silver    1,550   fine  oz.  967 

Stone,    miscellaneous 317,767 

Other  minerals  * 10,807  i 


Total   value    $63,223,082 

*  Includes  copper,  potash,  zinc. 

PLACER. 

Land  area:  1395  square  miles. 

Population:  18.584  (1920  census). 

Location:  Eastern  border  of  state  directly  west  of  Lake  Tahoe. 

While  standing  only  thirty-second  on  the  list  of  mineral  producing 
counties,  Placer  contains  a  wide  variety  of  mineral  substances,  some  of 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  143 

which  have  not  been  commercially  exploited.  Its  leading  products 
include  gold,  chromite,  granite,  copper,  and  claj'.  Other  mineral 
resources  are  asbestos,  brick,  coal,  gems,  iron,  lead,  limestone,  magnesite, 
manganese,  marble,  quartz  crystals,  glass-sand,  silver,  and  miscella- 
neous stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows,  compared  to  a  total 
value  of  $550,413  for  the  preceding  year : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $150,591 

Clav    (potterv)     104,250   tons  147,241 

Gold    -_ 82,921 

Granite     ---  6,092   cu.  ft.     -  11,969 

Silver    554   fine  oz.  346 

Stone,    mi.scellaneou.s    81,814 

Other    minerals    6,000 

Total  value $480,882 

PLUMAS. 

Land  area:  2594  square  miles. 

Population:  5681  (1920  census). 

Location:  Northeastern  border  of  state,  south  of  Lassen  County. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  area  of  Plumas  County  lies  in  the  high 
mountains,  and  deposits  of  the  metals,  especially  gold  and  copper,  are 
found  there.  Mineral  production  for  1926  was  valued  at  $3,572,628, 
the  decrease  being  due  to  copper  and  silver.  This  placed  the  county 
eighth  in  rank.  In  1919  Plumas  passed  Shasta  in  the  copper  lead,  owing 
to  the  Shasta  smelters  being  closed  down,  which  position  Plumas  still 
retains. 

Among  its  mineral  resources  are  chromite,  copper,  gold,  granite,  iron, 
lead,  limestone,  manganese,  molybdemum,  platinum,  silver,  and  zinc. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                 Amount  Value 

Copper    22,163,035   lbs.  $3,102,825 

Gold 247,667 

Silver    347,147  fine  oz.  216,620 

Other  mineral.?  * 5,516 


Total   value    $3,572,628 

*  Includes  granite,  lead,  manganese  ore,  platinum. 

RIVERSIDE. 

Land  ai'ea:  7240  square  miles. 
Population:  60,297  (1920  census). 
L.ocation:  Southern  portion  of  state. 

Riverside  is  the  fourth  county  in  the  state  in  size  and  the  seventh  in 

,regard  to  the  total  value  of  mineral  output  for  1926.    Within  its  borders 

'are   included   mountain,   desert,    and   agricultural   land.      Its   mineral 

resources  include  metals,  structural  and  industrial  materials,  and  salines, 

some  of  the  more  important  being  brick,  clay,  coal,  copper,  feldspar, 

i?ems,  gold,  gypsum,  iron,  lead,  limestone,  manganese,  magnesite,  marble, 

Itnineral  paint,  mineral  water,  salt,  .soapstone.  silver,  miscellaneous  stone, 

md  tin.    In  point  of  variety.  Riverside  County  showed  eighteen  differ- 

■nt  minerals  commercially  produced  in  1926.     The  increase  in  1926 


I 


1 


144  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

from  the  1925  value  of  $5,179,108  was  due  to  cement,  brick,  and  miscel 
laneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

I 

Substance                                                                                        Amount  Value     ^ 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $610,100 

Clay    (pottery)    58,528  tons  178,383 

Copper     22,125  lbs.  3,096 

Gold 2,931 

Gypsum     26,140  tons  71,907 

Lead     173,207  lbs.  13,857 

Silica     (quartz)     -. 20,587  tons  72,510 

Silver 5,024   fine  oz.  3,135 

Stone,    miscellaneous    1,180,278 

Other    minerals  *    4,058,056 

Total   value   $6,194,253 

*  Includes  cement,  feldspar,  granite,  mineral  water,  onyx,  slate. 


SACRAMENTO. 

Land  area:  983  square  miles. 
Population:  90,978  (1920  census). 
Location:  North-central  portion  of  state. 


Sacramento  stands  nineteenth  among  the  counties  of  the  state  as  a 
mineral  producer,  the  output,  principally  gold,  for  1926  being  valued  at 
$2,243,952,  as  compared  Avitli  the  1925  production,  worth  $2,504,405. 

In  regard  to  gold  output  alone,  this  county  ranks  fourth,  being 
exceeded  only  by  Yuba,  Nevada  and  Amador  counties,  the  Sacramento 
product  coming  from  the  dredges.  Its  mineral  resources  include  brick, 
clay,  gold,  granite,  natural  gas,  platinum,  silver,  and  miscellaneous 
.stone. 

Commercial  jiroduction  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $388,697 

Clay    (pottery)    1,528  tons  2,310 

Gold 1,304,046 

Granite    6,250  cu.  ft.  7,812 

Silver 2,607  fine  oz.  1,627 

Stone,   miscellaneous   438,086 

Other    minerals  *    101,374 

Total    value    $2,243,952 

*  Includes  natural  gas  and  platinum. 


SAN   BENITO. 

Land  area:  1392  square  miles. 
Population:  8995  (1920  census). 
Location:  West-central  portion  of  state. 

While  eighteenth  among  the  counties  of  the  state  in  regard  to  value 
of  total  mineral  production  for  1926,  San  Benito  has  led  for  some  years 
in  one  important  branch. of  the  mineral  industry,  namely,  quicksilver. 
Cement  is  also  an  important  item. 

Its  other  mineral  resources,  many  of  them  undeveloped,  include  anti- 
mony, asbestos,  bituminous  rock,  chromite,  coal,  dolomite,  gems,  gypsum,, 
limestone,  magnesite,  mineral  water,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  145 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Siibstance  Value 

Stone,    miscellaneous $328,460 

Other    minerals  *    ^_: 2,072,390 


Total  value   $2,400,850 

*  Includes  antimony,  asbestos,  cement,  dolomite,  magnesite,  mineral  wat«r,  quick- 
silver. 

SAN  BERNARDINO. 

Land  area:  20,157  square  miles. 
Population:  13,4^01  (1920  censuB). 
Location:  Southeastern  portion  of  state. 

San  Bernardino,  by  far  the  largest  county  in  the  state  in  area,  ranks 
fifth  as  regards  the  value  of  its  mineral  output  for  1926  with  a  total  of 
$14,218,475,  as  compared  with  the  1925  total  of  $14,179,663.  The 
increase  is  due  mainly  to  cement,  in  spite  of  decreases  in  gold  and  silver. 

San  Bernardino  for  several  years  (except  1918)  has  led  all  other 
counties  in  the  state  in  point  of  variety  of  minerals,  producing  commer- 
cially during  1926  a  total  of  24  different  substances.  This  county  also 
ranks  first  as  a  silver  producer  in  the  state,  from  the  mines  of  the 
Randsburg  district. 

This  county,  consisting  largely  of  mountain  and  desert  country,  is 
highly  mineralized,  the  following  being  included  among  its  resources : 
Asbestos,  barytes,  borax,  brick,  cement,  clay,  copper,  gems,  gold,  granite, 
gypsum,  iron,  lead,  limestone,  manganese,  marble,  mineral  paint,  min- 
eral water,  nitre,  potash,  salt,  soapstone,  soda,  miscellaneous  stone, 
strontium,  talc,  tungsten,  vanadium,  and  zinc. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Cement   , 5,135,840  bbls. 

Clay    (pottery)    2,268  tons 

Copper    171,232  lbs. 

;Gold    

Lead    195,536  lbs. 

Lime    : 13,680  tons 

.Limestone    11,226  tons 

Salt   22,522  tons 

Silver    884,045   fine  oz. 

Soda    (trona)    2,860  tons 

Stone,  miscellaneous 

Talc ■ 8.134   tons 

Other    minerals*     

Total   value $14,218,475 

*  Includes  borates,  calcium  chloride,  fuller's  earth  (filtering-  clay),  magnesite, 
mineral  water,  petroleum,  potash,  silica,  tungsten  consentrates,  zinc. 

SAN    DIEGO. 

Land  area:  4221  square  miles. 
Population:  112,248  (1920  census). 
Location:  Extreme  southwest  corner  of  state. 

San  Diego  ranks  twenty-third  in  the  total  value  of  its  mineral  output 

for  the  year,  with  21  different  commercial  minerals.    The  value  for,  1926 

I ;  equaled  $1,241,324,  as  compared  with  the  1925  output,  worth  $1,129,757. 

In  the  production  of  gems,  San  Diego  County  has  led  the  state. 

[Aside  from  minerals  commercially  produced,   as   shown   below,    San 

i  IDiego  County  contains  occurrences  of  bismuth,  lithia,  marble,  nickel, 

soapstone,  and  tin.    Potash  has  been  produced  from  kelp. 

10—55185 


$9,273,627 

10.605 

23,972 

106,875 

15,643 

96,310 

49,504 

85,463 

551,644 

73,721 

404,681 

142,280 

3,384,150 

146  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Stibstance  Amount  Value 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $230,484 

Clay    (pottery)    30,187  tons  58,269 

Feldspar    7,000  tons  54,000 

Gems    4,000 

Gold    10,543 

Granite     16,273  cu.  ft.  45,327 

Mineral  water 156,380  gals.  23,259 

Silver    545   fine  oz.  340 

Stone,    miscellaneous   529,640 

Other    minerals*    285,462 


Total   value    $1,241,324 

*  Includes  bromine,  copper,  fuller's  earth  (filtering  clay),  lead,  lithia,  magnesium 
chloride,  salt,  zinc. 

SAN   FRANCISCO. 

Larid  area:  46i  square  miles. 
Populaiion:  506,676  (1920  census). 

Surprising  as  it  may  appear  at  first  glance,  San  Francisco  County  is 
listed  among  the  mineral  producing  sections  of  the  state,  actual  produc- 
tion consisting  mainly  of  crushed  rock,  sand  and  gravel.  Small  quan- 
tities of  various  valuable  mineral  substances  are  found  here,  including 
cinnabar,  gypsum,  lignite,  and  magnesite,  none,  hoAvever,  in  paying 
quantities.    Some  pumice  has  been  produced. 

In  forty-sixth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Value 

Stone,    miscellaneous    1 $112,193 

SAN   JOAQUIN. 

Land  area:  1448  square  miles. 
Population:  79,905  (1920  census). 
Location:  Central  portion  of  state. 

San  Joaquin  County  reported  a  mineral  production  for  the  year  1926 
having  a  total  value  of  $842,000,  as  compared  with  the  1925  output, 
worth  $737,818. 

Comparatively  few  mineral  substances  are  found  here,  the  chief  ones 
being  brick,  clay,  manganese,  natural  gas,  glass-sand,  and  miscellaneous 
stone.  Gold,  platinum,  and  silver  have  been  obtained  by  dredging  in 
the  Mokelumne  River,  which  forms  the  boundary  between  this  county 
and  Amador  on  the  northeast. 

In  twenty-fifth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows; 

Substance  Value 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $511,448; 

Stone,    miscellaneous    129,037 

Other   minerals    201,515* 

Total    value  ' $842,000 

SAN    LUIS  OBISPO. 

Land  area:  3334  square  miles. 
Population:  21,893  (1920  census). 
Location:  Bordered  by  Kern  County  on  the  east  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean  on  the  west. 

The  total  value  of  the  mineral  production  of  San  Luis  Obispo  County 
in  1926  was  $253,294,  as  compared  with  the  1925  output,  worth 
$136,477,  the  increase  being  due  to  miscellaneous  stone. 


I 


STATISTICS    OP   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  147 

Among  its  mineral  resources,  both  developed  and  undeveloped,  are 
asphalt,  bituminous  rock,  brick,  ehromite,  coal,  copper,  diatomaceous 
earth,  gypsum,  iron,  limestone,  marble,  mineral  water,  onyx,  petroleum, 
quicksilver,  soda,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

In  forty-second  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Stcbstance  Amoiint  Value 

Clay  and  clav  products $22,914 

Petroleum     27,982   bbls.  22,162 

Stone,   miscellaneous   193,138 

Other    minerals  *    15,080 


Total    value    $253,294 

*  Includes  ehromite,  mineral  water,  natural  gas,  quicksilver. 

SAN     MATEO. 

La7id  area:  447  square  miles. 

Population:  36,781  (1920  census). 

Location:  Peninsula,  adjoined  by  San  Francisco  on  the  north. 

San  Mateo's  most  important  mineral  products  are  cement,  stone  and 
salt,  the  last-named  being  derived  by  evaporation  from  the  waters  of 
San  Francisco  Bay.  The  total  value  of  all  mineral  ])roduction  during 
1926  equaled  $1,893,853,  as  compared  with  the  1925  figures  of  $1,577,- 
513,  the  increase  being  due  to  cement. 

Small  amounts  of  barytes,  ehromite,  infusorial  earth,  and  quicksilver 
have  been  noted  in  addition  to  the  items  of  economic  A'alue  given  below. 
Bricks  have  also  been  produced  commercially. 

In  twentieth  place,  commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Value 

Stone,   miscellaneous   $77,470 

Other    minerals  *    1,816,383 


Total    value    $1,893,853 

*Includes  cement,  magnesium  chloride,  natural  gas,  petroleum,  salt. 

SANTA   BARBARA. 

Land  area:  2740  square  miles. 
Population:  41,097  (1920  census). 

Location:  Southwestern  portion  of  state,  adjoining  San  Luis  Obispo 
on  the  south. 

Santa  Barbara  Count}'  owes  its  position  of  fifteenth  in  the  state  in 
regard  to  its  mineral  output  to  the  presence  of  productive  oil  fields 
'Within  its  boundaries.  The  total  value  of  its  mineral  production  during 
the  year  1926  was  $2,583,548,  as  compared  with  tlie  1925  output  of 
$4,338,431,  and  included  twelve  different  mineral  substances.  The 
decrease  was  due  to  petroleum  and  diatomaceous  earth. 

Aside  from  the  mineral  substances  listed  below,  Santa  Barbara 
Count}'  contains  asphalt,  gilsonite,  gypsum,  magnesite,  and  quicksilver 
in  more  or  less  abundance. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows: 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Brick  and  hollow  building  tile $17,076 

fClay   (pottery)    1,100  tons  1,700 

Natural    gas    2,230,501  M  cu.  ft.  246,091 

Petroleum    1,925,204  bbl.s.  1,526,587 

Stone,    miscellaneous 88,575 

Other  minerals  *   ' 703,519 


Total   value    _ $2,583,548 

*  Includes  bituminous  rock,  diatomaceous  earth,  mineral  water,  shale  oil. 


148  MINER ATj   industry   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

SANTA   CLARA. 

Land  area:  1328  square  miles. 
Population:  100,588  (1920  census). 
Location:  West-central  portion  of  state. 

Santa  Clara  County  reported  a  mineral  output  for  1926  of  $1,028,506 
as  compared  with  the  1925  figures  of  .$1,320,858. 

This  county,  lying-  largely  in  the  Coast  Range  Mountains,  contains  a 
wide  variety  of  mineral  substances,  including  brick,  chromite,   clay, 
limestone,  magnesite,  manganese,  mineral  water,  petroleum,  quicksilver,  i 
soapstone,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

In   twenty-fourth   place,   commercial   production   for   1926   was   asj 
follows  : 

Substance  Value 

Clay  and  cla5'  products $197,998J 

Stone,    miscellaneous     478,2311 

Other   minerals  *    352,2771 


Total   value   $l,028,506j 

*  Includes  magnesite,  mineral  water,  natural  gas,  petroleum. 

SANTA  CRUZ. 

Land  area:  435  square  miles. 
Population:  26,269  (1920  census). 

Location:    Bordering   Pacific    Ocean,    just    south    of    San    Matec 
County. 

The  mineral  output  of  Santa  Cruz  County,  a  portion  of  which  is 
itemized  below,  amounted  to  a  total  value  of  $3,504,194,  giving  th^ 
county  a  standing  of  ninth  among  all  others  in  the  state  in  this  regarc 
The  increase  over  the  1925  figure  of  $3,227,036  is  due  to  cement. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows :  | 

Substance                                                                                    Amount  Value 

Gold     $143 

Lime    15,457  tons  227,904 

Silver 1  fine  oz.  1 

Stone,   miscellaneous 26,361 

Other   minerals  *    3,249,785 

Total,  value    $3,504,194' 

*  Includes  iDituminous  rock,  cement,  limestone.  ->• 

SHASTA.  i 

Land  area:  3858  square  miles. 

Population:  13,311  (1920  census). 

Location:  North-central  portion  of  state.  ,; 

Shasta  County  stood  thirteenth  in  California  among  the  mineral  pro- 
ducing counties  for  1926,  with  an  output  valued  at  $2,886,144,  as  com- 
pared with  the  1925  production,  worth  $4,300,449,  the  decrease  being  ' 
due  to  copper,  and  in  part  to  gold  and  stone,  though  zinc  advanced. 

The  marked  decrease  since  1918  is  due  to  the  falling  off  in  the  output 
of  copper,  the  large  plants  of  the  Mammoth  and  Mountain  copper  com- 
panies being  shut  down.  Not  taking  petroleum  into  account,  Shasta 
for  a  number  of  years  led  all  of  the  counties  by  a  wide  margin,  but  in 
1919-1923  was  passed  by  San  Bernardino,  Plumas,  Yuba,  Inyo,  Sacra- 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  149 

mento,  Nevada,  and  Amador,  among  the  'metal'  counties,  though  by 
only  San  Bernardino  and  Plumas  of  that  group  in  1925. 

Shasta's  mineral  resources  include  asbestos,  barytes,  brick,  chromite, 
coal,  copper,  gold,  iron,  lead,  lime,  limestone,  mineral  water,  molyb- 
:  denum,  pyrites,  silver,  soapstone,  miscellaneous  stone,  and  zinc. 
1^    Lassen  Peak  is  located  in  southeastern  Shasta  County. 
Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows: 

Stihstatice                                                                                 Amount  Value 

Copper     5,113,114  lbs.  $715,836 

Gold     132,906 

Lead 15,584  lbs.  1,247 

Platinum     28   fine  oz.  3,034 

Silver     177,434   fine  oz.  110,719 

Stone,  miscellaneous  162,355 

Zinc    17,757,000  lbs.  1,331,775 

Other    minerals* 428,272 

Total   value    $2,886,144 

*  Includes  coal,  diatomaceous  earth,  iron  ore,  lime,  limestone,  pyrites,  talc. 

SIERRA. 

Land  area:  923  square  miles. 
.  Population:  11^?,  (1920  census). 
Location:  Eastern  border  of  state,  just  north  of  Nevada  County. 

Sierra  County  reported  a  mineral  production  of  $569,515  mainly  of 
gold  and  silver,  during  the  year  1926,  as  compared  with  the  1925  output, 
worth  $1,386,301,  the  decrease  being  due  to  gold.  Considering  gold 
output  alone  this  county  stands  sixth;  and  as  to  total  mineral  yield 
twenty-ninth. 

Aside  from  the  metals  itemized  below,  Sierra  County  contains 
deposits  of  asbestos,  chromite,  copper,  iron,  lead,  platinum,  serpentine, 
and  talc. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Su'bstance  Amount  Value 

Gold     $564,452 

Silver    4,669  fine  oz.  2,913 

Stone,    miscellaneous    2,150 

Total  value $569,515 

SISKIYOU. 

Land  area:  6256  square  miles. 
Population:  18,545  (1920  census). 

Location:  Extreme  north-central  portion  of  state,  next  to  Oregon 
boundary. 

Siskiyou,  fifth  county  in  California  in  regard  to  size,  located  in  a 
highly  mineralized  and  mountainous  country,  ranks  thirty-first  in 
regard  to  the  value  of  its  mineral  output  for  1926. 

Although  this  county  is  traversed  by  a  transcontinental  railroad  in  a 
north  and  south  line,  the  mineral-bearing  sections  are  almost  without 
exception  far  from  transportation  and  other  facilities.  A  large  part 
of  the  country  is  accessible  by  trail  only.  Future  development  and 
exploitation  wiU  increase  the  productiveness  of  this  part  of  the  state 
to  a  considerable  degree. 

Mount  Shasta  is  located  in  Siskiyou  County. 


150  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Anionf?  Siskiyou's  mineral  resources  are  eliromite,  clay,  coal,  copper, 

gems,  gold,  lead,  limestone,  manganese,  marble,  mineral  water,  pumice, 
quicksilver,  sandstone,  silver,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                                           Amount  Value 

Gold     1 $141,240 

Platinum    16   fine  oz.  1,780 

Silver    1,137   fine  oz.  709 

Stone,  miscellaneous 327,569 

Other   minerals  *    22,853 


i 


Total    value    $494,151 

*  Includes  coal,  lead,  mineral  water,  sandstone. 

SOLANO. 

Land  area:  822  square  miles. 

PoimIatio7i:  40,602  (1920  census).  " 

Location:  Touching  San  Francisco  Bay  on  the  northeast. 

Solano,  while  mostly  valley  land,  produced  mineral  substances  during 
the  year  1926  to  the  total  value  of  $1,770,820,  ranking  twenty-second 
among  the  counties  of  the  state,  the  decrease  from  the  1925  figures  of 
$2  678,547  IxMng  due  to  cement  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Among  her  mineral  resources  are  brick,  cement,  clay,  fuller's  earth, 
limestone,  mineral  water,  natural  gas,  onyx,  (juicksilver,  salt,  and  miscel- 
laneous stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  Avas  as  follows: 

Substance  Vuliiv 

Unapportioned  *     $1,770,820 

*  Includes  cement,  mineral  water,  onyx,  travertine. 


SONOMA. 

Land  area:  1577  square  miles. 

Populaiion :  51,990  ( 1920  census) . 

Location:  South  of  Mendocino  County,  bordering  on  the  Pacific. 

Ocean.  | 

Sonoma  ranked  forty-third  among  the  counties  of  California  during 
the  year  1926,  with  a  mineral  production  of  $222,586,  as  compared  with| 
its  1925  output  of  $160,231.  More  paving  blocks  have  been  turned  out 
here  than  in  any  other  section  of  the  state,  but  this  industr}^  has  now 
ceased,  owing  to  the  construction  of  smooth-surface  pavements  both  in 
the  cities  and  on  the  highways. 

Among  Sonoma 's  mineral  resources  are  brick,  chromite,  clay,  copper, 
graphite,  infusorial  earth,  magnesite,  manganese,  marble,  mineral  paint, 
mineral  water,  quicksilver,  and  miscellaneous  stone.  _ 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows :  H 

Substance                                                                                           Amount  Value 

Mineral  water 36,272  gals.  $7,752 

Stone,   miscellaneous 208,479 

Other    minerals  *    6,355. 


Total  value $222,586 

*  Includes  pottery  clay,  gems,  manganese  ore,  petroleum,  quicksilver. 


i 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODtJCTION.  151 

STANISLAUS. 

Land  area:  1450  square  miles. 

PopM/fliio??.:  43,557  (1920  census). 

Location:  Center  of  state,  bounded  on  south  by  Merced  County. 

Gold  has  usually  been  the  chief  mineral  product  of  Stanislaus  County, 
but  it  was  exceeded  in  1918-1919  by  manganese,  and  in  1921-1923  and 
1925-1926  by  miscellaneous  stone.  Brick,  clay,  gypsum,  mineral  paint, 
quicksilver,  and  silver  are  found  here  to  some  extent  as  well.  This 
county  for  1926  ranks  thirty-sixth  in  the  state  in  regard  to  value  of 
minerals,  with  an  output  of  $401,997,  as  compared  with  $415,466  in 
1925,  the  decrease  being  due  to  gold.  Gold,  platinum,  and  silver  are 
obtained  mainly  by  dredging. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Gold $127,398 

Silver 659  fine  oz.                        411 

Stone,   miscellaneous 261,231 

Other  minerals* 12,957 


Total    value    $401,997 

*  Includes  magnesite,  mineral  paint,  platinum. 

SUTTER. 

Land  area:  608  square  miles. 
Population:  10,315  (1920  census). 

Location:  Bounded  by  Butte  County  on  the  north  and  Sacramento 
on  the  south. 

Sutter  is  one  of  only  two  counties  in  the  state  which  for  a  number  of 
years  reported  no  commercial  output  of  some  kind  of  mineral  substance. 
In  1917  some  crushed  rock  was  taken  out,  from  the  Marysville  Buttes, 
also  in  1925-1926.  There  has  been  some  utilization  of  natural  gas.  The 
1926  mineral  yield  was- valued  at  $397,  being  concealed  under  'unappor- 
tioned. '  Both  clay  and  coal  exist  here,  but  deposits  of  neither  mineral 
have  been  placed  on  a  productive  basis. 

TEHAMA. 

Land  area:  2893  square  miles. 
Po'pniation:  12,882  (1920  census). 

Location:  North-central  portion  of  the  state,  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Shasta. 

Tehama  stands  fifty-fifth  among  the  mineral  producing  counties  of 
the  state  for  1926,  when  its  output  was  valued  at  $10,340,  as  compared 
with  the  1925  yield,  worth  $77,183,  the  decrease  being  due  to  stone. 

Among  its  mineral  resources  are  listed  brick,  chromite,  copper,  gold, 
manganese,  marble,  mineral  water,  salt,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

The  1926  yield  was  distributed  as  follows : 

Substance  Value 

Stone,    miscellaneous    $2,100 

Other    minerals  *    8,240 

Total  value $10,340 

*  Includes  brick  and  chromite. 


152  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

TRINITY. 

Land  area:  3166  square  miles. 
■  Population:  2551  (1920  census). 
Location:  Northwestern  portion  of  state. 

Trinity,  like  its  neighbor,  Sisldj^ou  County,  requires  transportation 
facilities  to  further  the  development  of  its  many  and  varied  mineral 
resources.  Deposits  of  asbestos,  barytes,  chromite,  copper,  gold,  mineral 
water,  platinum,  quicksilver,  silver,  and  building  stone  are  known  here, 
but  with  the  exception  of  gold,  chromite,  copper,  quicksilver  and  plati- 
num, very  little  active  production  of  these  mineral  substances  has  been 
made  as  yet.  The  1926  output  of  $611,797  shows  an  increase  over  the 
1925  figure  of  $502,289,  due  to  copper  and  gold,  giving  the  county  rank 
of  twenty-eighth  for  the  year. 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Copper 760,140  lbs.  $106,420 

Gold    483,471 

Platinum 28   fine  oz.  2,832 

Silver    21,275   fine  oz.  13,276 

Stone,    mi-scellaneous    _. 1,798 

Other  minerals 4,000 

Total  value -  $611,797 

TULARE. 

Land  area:  4856  square  miles. 
Population:  59,0^1  (1920  censufi). 

Location:  Bounded  by  Inyo  on  the  east,  Kern  on  the  south,  Fresno 
on  the  north. 

Tulare  stands  thirty-seventh  on  the  list  of  mineral  producing  counties, 
the  decrease  from  the  1925  value  being  due  mainlj'^  to  magnesite. 

This   county's   mineral   resources,   among   others,    are    brick,    clay, 
copper,  feldspar,  graphite,  gems,  limestone,  magnesite,  marble,  quartz, 
glass-sand,  soapstone,  miscellaneous  stone,  and  zinc.    Tulare  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  led  the  state  in  magnesite  output,  except  in  1918  when  it  - 
was  passed  by  Napa  County,  and  since  1921  by  Santa  Clara.  i 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows:  ■ 

Substance                                                                                           Amount  Value 

Lime 593  tons  $7,709 

Limestone 18,000   tons  70,000 

Magnesite    . 13,378   tons  138,347 

Stone,    miscellaneous    73,881 

Other  minerals  * 107,983 


I 


Total  value $397,920 

*  Includes  brick,  building  tile,  granite,  natural  gas. 

TUOLUMNE. 

Land  area:  2190  square  miles. 

Population:  7768  (1920  census). 

Location:  East-central  portion  of  state — Mother  Lode  District. 

Tuolumne  ranks  twenty-seventh  among  counties  of  the  state  relative 
to  its  total  value  of  mineral  output  for  1926.  This  county  ranks  first 
as  a  producer  of  marble  in  the  state.  The  increase  in  the  year's  valua- 
tion to  $615,998  for  1926  from  the  1925  figure  of  $567,248  was  due 
mainly  to  gold. 


J 


I 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  153 

Chromite,  clay,  copper,  gold,  lead,  limestone,  marble,  mineral  paint, 
platinum,  soapstone,  silver,  and  miscellaneous  stone  are  among  its 
mineral  resources. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance  Amount  Value 

Gold    $119,873 

Silver    1,793   fine  oz.  1,119 

Stone,    miscellaneous    56,097 

Other  minerals  *    --—  438,909 

Total    value    --   ?615.998 

*  Includes  copper,  granite,  lead,  lime,  limestone,  magnesite,  marble,  silica.    ■ 

VENTURA. 

Land  area:  1878  square  miles. 
Population:  28,724  (1920  census). 

Location:   Southwestern   portion   of   state,   bordering   on   Pacific 
Ocean. 

Ventura  is  the  fourth  county  in  the  state  in  respect  to  the  value  of 
its  mineral  production  for  1926,  the  exact  figure  being  $30,208,369,  as 
compared  with  the  output  for  1925,  worth  $17,853,540,  the  increase 
being  due  to  petroleum  and  natural  gas. 

The  highest  gravity  petroleum  produced  in  the  state  is  found  here. 

Among  its  other  mineral  resources  are  asphalt,  borax,  brick,  clay, 
mineral  water,  natural  gas.  sandstone,  and  miscellaneous  stone. 

Commercial  production  for  1926  was  as  follows : 

Substance                                                                             Amount  Value 

Clay   373,000  tons  $93,250 

Natural   gas   41,559,144  M  cu.  ft.  4,080,040 

Petroleum    16,994,275  tabls.  25,695,344 

Stone,  miscellaneous 339,435 

Other  minerals 300 

Total   value $30,208,369 

YOLO. 

La7id  area:  1017  square  miles. 
Population:  n, 105  (1920  census). 

Location:  Sacramento  Valley,  bounded  by  Sutter  on  the  east  and 
Colusa  on  the  north. 

The  mineral  production  from  Yolo  County  during  the  year  1926 
consisted  entirely  of  miscellaneous  stone,  valued  at  $20,560,  ranking  it 
in  fifty-second  place.  Deposits  of  undetermined  value  of  iron  and 
sandstone  have  been  discovered  within  the  confines  of  this  county. 
Quicksilver  has  also  been  produced. 

YUBA. 

Land  area:  639  square  miles. 
Population:  10,375  (1920  census). 

Location:   Lies  Avest   of   Sierra   and   Nevada   counties;   south   of 
Plumas. 

Yuba  is  twelfth  of  the  mineral  producing  counties  of  the  state,  and 
first  in  regard  to  gold  output  for  1925-1926,  having  passed  Nevada  and 
Amador  counties  in  that  metal.     Iron  and  clay  deposits  have  been 


154  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

reported  in  this  county  aside  from  the  following  commercial  production 
shown  for  the  year  1926.  The  increase  over  the  1925  figure  of  $2,721,- 
594  was  due  mainly  to  gold  obtained  by  the  dredgers,  which  also  yield 
silver  and  platinum.  The  1921  dredge  yield  of  gold  was  a  record  for 
the  county. 

The  1926  production  of  Yuba  County  was  distributed  as  follows : 

Substance  '  Amount  Value 

Gold $2,769,703 

Silver     10,235  fine  oz.  6,398 

Stone,   miscellaneous 133,298 

Other   minerals  *    11,695 

Total   value    $2,921,083 

*  Includes  natural  gas  and  platinum. 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  155 

APPENDIX. 


MINING  BUREAU  ACT. 

Chapter   679. 

[Stats.  1913.] 

An  act  establishing  a  state  mining  bureau,  creating  the  office  of  state  mineralogist, 
fixing  his  salary  and  prescribing  his  powers  and  duties;  providing  for  the 
employment  of  officers  and  employees  of  said  bureau,  making  it  the  duty  of 
persons  in  charge  of  mines,  mining  operations  and  quarries  to  make  certain 
reports,  providing  for  the  investigation  of  mining  operations,  dealings  and 
transactions  and  the  prosecution  for  defrauding,  swindling  and  cheating  therein, 
creating  a  state  mining  bureau  fund  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  provisions 
of  this  act  and  repealing  an  act  entitled  "An  act  to  provide  for  the  establishment, 
maintenance,  and  support  of  a  bureau,  to  be  known  as  the  state  mining  bureau, 
and  for  the  appointment  and  duties  of  a  board  of  trustees,  to  be  known  as  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  state  mining  bureau,  who  shall  have  the  direction,  man- 
agement and  control  of  said  state  mining  bureau,  and  to  provide  for  the  appoint- 
ment, duties,  and  compensation  of  a  state  mineralogist,  who  shall  perform  the 
duties  of  his  office  under  the  control,  direction  and  supervision  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  state  mining  bureau,"  approved  March  23,  1893,  and  all  acts 
amendatory   thereof   and   supplemental   thereto   or    in    conflict    herewith, 

[Approved   June   16,   1913.      In   effect   August   10,   1913.] 

The  people  of  the  State  of  California  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1.  There  is  hereby  created  and  established  a  state  mining  bureau.  The 
chief  oflBcer  of  such  bureau  shall  be  the  state  mineralogist,  which  office  is  hereby 
created. 

Sec.  2.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  governor  of  the  State  of  California  and  he  is 
hereby  empowered  to  appoint  a  citizen  and  resident  of  this  state,  having  a  practical 
and  scientific  knowledge  of  mining,  to  the  office  of  state  mineralogist.  Said  state 
mineralogist  shall  hold  his  office  at  the  pleasure  of  the  governor.  He  shall  be  a  civil 
executive  officer.  He  shall  take  and  subscribe  the  same  oath  of  office  as  other 
state  officers.  He  shall  receive  for  his  services  a  salary  of  three  hundred  dollars 
($300)  per  month,  to  be  paid  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
salaries  of  other  state  officers.  He  shall  also  receive  his  necessary  traveling 
expenses  when  traveling  on  the  business  of  his  office.  He  shall  give  bond  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  his  duties  in  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars  ($10,000), 
said  bond  to  be  approved  by  the  governor  of  the   State  of  California. 

Sec.  3.  Said  state  mineralogist  shall  employ  competent  geologists,  field  assist- 
ants, qualified  specialists  and  office  employees  when  necessary  in  the  execution  of  his 
plans  and  operations  of  the  bureau,  and  fix  their  compensation.  The  said  employees 
shall  be  allowed  their  necessary  traveling  expenses  when  traveling  on  the  business  of 
said  department  and  shall  hold  office  at  the  pleasure  of  said  state  mineralogist. 

Sec.  4.     It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  state  mineralogist  to  make,  facilitate,  and 
encourage,  special  studies  of  the  mineral  resources  and  mineral  industries  of  the 
state.     It  shall  be  his  duty  :  to  collect  statistics  concerning  the  occurrence  and  pro- 
duction of  the  economically  important  minerals  and  the  methods  pursued  in  making 
their  valuable  constituents  available  for  commercial  use ;   to  make  a  collection  of 
typical  geological   and   mineralogical   specimens,   especially   those   of   economic   and 
commercial  importance,  such  collection  constituting  the  museum  of  the  state  mining 
bureau  ;  to  provide  a  library  of  books,  reports,  drawings,  bearing  upon  the  mineral 
industries,  and  sciences  of  mineralogy  and  geology,  and  arts  of  mining  and  metal- 
lurgy, such  library  constituting  the  library  of  the  state  mining  bureau  ;  to  make  a 
collection  of  models,  drawings  and  descriptions  of  the  mechanical  appliances  used 
in  mining  and  metallurgical  processes ;  to  preserve  and  so  maintain  such  collections 
i    and  library  as  to  make  them  available  for  reference  and  examination,  and  open  to 
public  inspection  at  reasonable  hours ;  to  maintain,  in  effect,  a  bureau  of  information 
I    concerning  the  mineral  industries  of  this  state,  to  consist  of  such  collections  and 
i    library,  and  to  arrange,  classify,  catalogue,  and  index  the  data  therein  contained,  in 
I    a  manner  to  make  the  information  available  to  those  desiring  it ;  to  issue  from  time 
I    to  time  such  bulletins  as  he  may  deem  advisable  concerning  the  statistics  and  tech- 
I    oology  of  the  mineral  industries  of  this  state. 


156  MINERAL  INDUSTRY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Sec.  5.  It  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of  the  owner,  lessor,  lessee,  agent,  manager 
or  other  person  in  charge  of  each  and  every  mine,  of  whatever  kind  or  character, 
within  the  state,  to  forward  to  the  state  mineralogist,  upon  his  I'equest,  at  his  office 
not  later  than  the  thirtieth  day  of  June,  in  each  year,  a  detailed  report  upon  forms 
which  will  be  furnished  showing  the  character  of  the  mine,  the  number  of  men 
then  employed,  the  method  of  working  such  mine  and  the  general  condition  thereof, 
the  total  mineral  production  for  the  past  year,  and  such  owner,  lessor,  lessee,  agent, 
manager  or  other  person  in  charge  of  any  mine  within  the  state  must  furnish 
whatever  information  relative  to  such  mine  as  the  state  mineralogist  may  from 
time  to  time  require  for  the  proper  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  Any  owner, 
lessor,  lessee,  agent,  manager  or  other  person  in  charge  of  each  and  every  mine,  of 
whatever  kind  or  character  within  the  state,  who  fails  to  comply  with  the  above 
provisions  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor.* 

Sec.  6.  The  state  mineralogist  now  performing  the  duties  of  the  office  of  state 
mineralogist  shall  perform  the  duties  of  the  office  of  state  mineralogist  as  in  this 
act  provided  until  the  appointment  and  qualification  of  his  successor  as  in  this  act 
provided. 

Sec.  7.  The  said  state  mineralogist  shall  take  possession,  charge  and  control  of 
the  offices  now  occupied  and  used  by  the  board  of  trustees  and  state  mineralogist 
and  the  museum,  library  and  laboratory  of  the  mining  bureau  located  in  San  Fran- 
cisco as  provided  for  by  a  certain  act  of  the  legislature  approved  March  23,  1893, 
and  hereafter  referred  to  in  section  fourteen  hereof,  and  shall  maintain  such  offices, 
museum,  library  and  laboratory  for  the  purposes  provided  in  this  act. 

Sec.  8.  Said  state  mineralogist  or  qualified  assistant  shall  have  full  power  and 
authority  at  any  time  to  enter  or  examine  any  and  all  mines,  quarries,  wells,  mills, 
reduction  works,  refining  works  and  other  mineral  properties  or  working  plants  in 
this  state  in  order  to  gather  data  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  this  act. 

Sec.  9.  The  state  mineralogist  shall  make  a  biennial  report  to  the  governor  on 
or  before  the  fifteenth  day  of  September  next  preceding  the  regular  session  of  the 
legislature. 

Sec.  10.  All  moneys  received  by  the  state  mining  bureau  or  any  officer  thereof 
(except  such  as  may  be  paid  to  them  by  the  state  for  disbursement)  shall  be 
receipted  for  by  the  state  mineralogist  or  other  officer  authorized  by  him  to  act 
in  his  place  and  at  least  once  a  month  accounted  for  by  him  to  the  state  controller 
and  paid  into  the  state  treasury  to  the  credit  of  a  fund  which  is  hereby  created  and 
designated  "state  mining  bureau  fund."  All  moneys  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
state  mining  bureau  or  any  officer  thereof  received  from  any  source  whatsoever, 
shall  be  immediately  paid  over  to  the  state  mineralogist  and  by  him  accounted  for 
to  the  controller  and  paid  into  the  state  treasury  to  the  credit  of  said  fund.  Said 
fund  shall  be  used  and  is  hereby  appropriated  for  the  use  of  said  bureau  in  carrying 
out  the  purposes  of  this  act. 

Sec.  11.  The  said  state  mineralogist  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to 
I'eceive  on  behalf  of  this  state,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  state  mining  bureau, 
gifts,  bequests,  devises  and  legacies  of  real  or  other  property  and  to  use  the  same  in 
accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  donors,  and  if  no  instructions  are  given  by  said 
donors,  to  manage,  use,  and  dispose  of  the  gifts  and  bequests  and  legacies  for  the 
best  interests  of  said  state  mining  bureau  and  in  such  manner  as  he  may  deem 
proper.  > 

Sec.  12.  The  state  mineralogist  may,  whenever  he  deems  it  advisable,  prepare  a 
special  collection  of  ores  and  minerals  of  California  to  be  sent  to  or  used  at  a«y 
world's  fair  or  exposition  in  order  to  display  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  state. 

'Sec.  13.  The  state  mineralogist  is  hereby  empowered  to  fix  a  price  upon  and  to 
dispose  of  to  the  public,  at  such  price,  any  and  all  publications  of  the  state  mining 
bureau,  including  reports,  bulletins,  maps,  registers  or  other  publications,  such  price 
shall  approximate  the  cost  of  publication  and  distribution.  Any  and  all  sums 
derived  from  such  disposition,  or  from  gifts  or  bequests  made,  as  hereinbefore  pro- 
vided must  be  accounted  for  by  said  state  mineralogist  and  turned  over  to  the 
state  treasurer  to  be  credited  to  the  mining  bureau  fund  as  provided  for  in  section 
ten.  He  is  also  empowered  to  furnish  without  cost  to  public  libraries  the  publica- 
tions of  the  bureau  and  to  exchange  publications  with  other  geological  surveys  and 
scientific  societies,  etc. 


*Sec.  19  of  the  Penal  Code  of  California  provides:  "Except  in  cases  where  a  differ- 
ent punishment  is  prescribed  by  this  code,  every  offense  declared  to  be  a  misde- 
meanor is  punishable  by  imprisonment  in  a  county  jail  not  exceeding  six  months,  or 
by  a  fine  not  exceeding  five  hundred  dollars,  or  by  both." 


ii 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  157 

Sec.  14.  The  state  mineralogist  provided  for  by  this  act  shall  be  the  successor 
in  interest  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  state  mining  bureau,  and  the  state 
mineralogist,  under  and  by  virtue  of  that  certain  act,  entitled  "An  act  to  provide 
for  the  establishment,  maintenance,  and  support  of  a  bureau,  to  be  known  as  the 
state  mining  bureau,  and  for  the  appointment  and  duties  of  a  board  of  trustees,  to 
be  known  as  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  state  mining  bureau,  who  shall  have  the 
direction,  management,  and  control  of  said  state  mining  bui-eau,  and  to  provide  for 
the  appointment,  duties,  and  compensation  of  a  state  mineralogist,  who  shall  perform 
the  duties  of  his  office  under  the  control,  direction  and  supervision  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  state  mining  bureau,"  approved  March  23,  1893,  and  all  books, 
papers,  documents,  personal  property,  records,  and  property  of  every  kind  and 
description  obtained  or  possessed,  or  held  or  controlled  by  the  said  board  of  trustees 
of  the  said  state  mining  bureau,  and  the  state  mineralogist,  and  the  clerks  and 
employees  thereof,  under  the  provisions  of  said  act  of  March  23,  1893,  or  any  act 
supplemental  thereto  or  amendatory  thereof,  shall  immediately  be  turned  over  and 
delivered  to  the  said  state  mineralogist  herein  provided  for,  who  shall  have  charge 
and  control  thereof. 

Sec.  15.  That  certain  act  entitled  "An  act  to  provide  for  the  establishment, 
maintenance,  and  support  of  a  bureau,  to  be  known  as  the  state  mining  bureau,  and 
for  the  appointment  and  duties  of  a  board  of  trustees,  to  be  known  as  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  state  mining  bureau,  and  to  provide  for  the  appointment,  duties 
and  compensation  of  a  state  mineralogist,  who  shall  perform  the  duties  of  his  office 
under  the  control,  direction,  and  supervision  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  state 
mining  bureau,"  approved  March  23,  1893,  together  with  all  acts  amendatory 
thereof  and  supplemental  thereto  and  all  acts  in  conflict  herewith  are  hereby 
repealed. 


158  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  NATURAL  RESOURCES  ACT. 

Chapter  128. 

[Stats.  1927.] 

An  act  to  add  a  new  article  to  chapter  three  of  title  one  of  part  three  of  the  Political 
Code,  to  be  numbered  article  two  j,  embracing  sections  three  hundred  seventy- 
three  to  three  hundred  seventy-three  i,  relating  to  a  department  of  natural 
resources. 

[Approved  by  the  Governor  April  13,  1927.] 

The  people  of  the  State  of  California  do  enact  ax  follows: 

Section  1.  The  Political  Code  is  hereby  amended  by  adding  a  new  article  to 
chapter  III  of  title  I  of  part  III  thereof,  to  be  numl)ere(l  article  II;',  embracing  sec- 
tions 373  to  373i  and  to  read  as  follows  : 

Article  II j. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  NATUR.\L  RESOURCES. 

373.  A  department  of  the  government  of  the  State  of  California  to  be  kiu)wn 
as  the  department  of  natural  resources  is  hereby  created.  The  department  shall 
be  conducted  under  the  control  of  an  executive  officer  to  be  known  as  the  director 
of  natural  resources,  which  office  is  hereby  created.  The  director  shall  be  appointed 
by  and  liold  office  at  the  pleasure  of  the  governor  and  shall  receive  a  salary  of  six 
thousand  dollars  per  annum. 

Kx(Ti)t  as  in  this  article  otherwis«>  provided,  the  ]U"ovisions  of  article  II  of  this 
cliapter.  title,  and  part  of  the  Political  Code  as  adoi)te(l  at  the  forty-fourth  session 
of  the  Legislature  and  as  the  same  may  be  amended  from  time  to  time  shall  govern 
and  apply  to  the  conduct  of  the  department  of  natural  resources  in  every  respect 
the  same  as  if  such  provisions  were  herein  set  forth  at  length  and  wherever  in  said 
article  II  the  term  "head  of  the  department"  or  similar  designation  occurs,  the  same 
shall  for  the  purposes  of  this  article  mean  the  director  of  natural  resources. 

373(;.  For  purposes  of  administration  the  department  shall  be  forthwith  organized 
by  the  director  thereof,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  governor,  in  such  manner  as 
he  shall  deem  necessary  to  properly  segregate  and  conduct  the  work  of  the  depart- 
ment, and  the  director  shall  have  power  to  appoint  in  accordance  with  the  civil 
service  and  other  provisions  of  law  such  deputies,  officers  and  other  expert  and 
clerical  assistants  as  may  be  necessary.  The  work  of  the  department  is  hereby 
divided  into  at  least  four  divisions  to  be  known  as  the  division  of  mines  and  mining, 
the  division  of  forestry,  the  division  of  parks  and  the  division  of  fish  and  game. 

3736.  The  division  of  mines  and  mining  shall  be  administei-ed  through  a  chief 
of  division  who  shall  also  be  known  as  the  state  mineralogist.  He  shall  be  appointed 
by  the  director  of  natural  resources  and  shall  receive  a  salary  of  six  thousand 
dollars  per  annum. 

373c.  The  division  of  forestry  shall  be  administered  through  a  chief  of  division 
who  shall  be  known  as  the  state  forester,  who  shall  be  a  technically  trained  forester, 
appointed  by  the  director  of  natural  resources  upon  nomination  by  the  state  board 
of  forestry  hereinafter  provided.  General  policies  for  the  guidance  of  the  division 
of  forestry  shall  be  determined  by  a  state  board  of  forestry  which  shall  consist  of 
seven  members  appointed  by  and  holding  office  at  the  pleasure  of  the  governor. 
Of  the  seven  members  one  shall  be  familiar  with  the  pine  timber  industry,  one  with 
the  redwood  industry,  one  with  the  live  stock  industry,  one  with  general  agriculture 
and  one  with  the  problems  of  water  conservation. 

373rf.  The  division  of  parks  shall  be  administered  through  a  chief  of  division  i' 
who  shall  be  appointed  by  the  director  of  natural  resources  upon  nomination  by 
the  state  park  commission  hereinafter  provided.  General  polices  for  the  administra- 
tion of  the  state  park  system  shall  be  determined  by  the  state  park  commission 
which  is  hereby  created  to  consist  of  five  members  appointed  by  the  governor  and 
holding  office  at  his  pleasure. 

373e.  The  division  of  fish  and  game  shall  be  administered  through  a  fish  and 
game  commission  consisting  of  three  members  appointed  by  and  holding  office  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  governor. 


STATISTICS    OF   ANNUAL    PRODUCTION.  159 

373/.  The  chiefs  of  the  divisions  of  foi-estry  and  parks  respectively  shall  receive 
such  salaries  as  may  be  determined  by  the  director  with  the  approval  of  the  governor. 
The  director  of  natural  resources  and  the  chief  of  each  division  before  entering  upon 
his  duties  shall  execute  to  the  State  of  California  an  official  bond  in  the  penal  sum  of 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  conditioned  npon  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties. 
The  members  of  the  board  of  forestry,  the  state  parks  commission  and  fish  and 
game  commission  shall  serve  without  compensation,  but  shall  be  entitled  to  their 
actual  expenses  incurred  in  the  performance  of  their  duties. 

373fl'.  The  department  of  natural  resources  shall  succeed  to  and  is  hereby  invested 
with  all  the  duties,  powers,  purposes,  responsibilities  and  jurisdiction  of  the  state 
mining  bureau,  state  mineralogist,  department  of  petroleum  and  gas,  state  oil 
and  gas  supervisor,  state  forester,  state  board  of  forestry,  California  redwood  park 
commission,  San  Pasqual  battlefield  cpmmission.  Mount  Diablo  park  commission, 
state  fish  and  game  commission,  state  fish  and  game  commissioners,  and,  except  as 
herein  otherwise  provided,  of  the  sevei-al  officers,  deputies  and  employees  of  such 
bodies  and  offices,  and  whenever  by  the  provisions  of  any  statute  or  law  now  in 
force  or  that  may  hereafter  be  enacted  a  duty  or  jurisdiction  is  imposed  or  author- 
ity conferred  upon  any  of  said  officers,  offices,  bodies,  deputies  or  employees  by 
any  statute  the  enforcement  of  which  is  transferred  to  the  department,  such  duty, 
jurisdiction  and  authority  are  hereby  imposed  upon  and  transferred  to  the  depart- 
ment of  natural  resources  and  the  appropriate  officers  thereof  with  the  .same  force 
and  effect  as  though  the  title  of  said  department  of  natural  resources  had  been 
specifically  set  forth  and  named  therein  in  lieu  of  the  name  of  any  such  body, 
office,  officer,  deputy  or  employee.  Said  bodies  and  offices,  the  duties,  powers,  pur- 
poses, responsibilities  and  jurisdiction  of  which  are  so  transferred  and  vested  in 
the  department  of  natural  resources,  and  the  positions  of  all  officers,  deputies  and 
employees  thereunder,  are  and  each  of  them  is  hereby  abolished  and  shall  have 
no  further  legal  existence,  but  the  statutes  and  laws  under  which  they  existed  and 
all  laws  prescribing  their  duties,  powers,  purposes,  responsibilities  and  jurisdiction, 
together  with  all  lawful  rules  and  regulations  established  thereunder  are  hereby 
expressly  continued  in  force. 

The  department  of  natural  resources  shall  be  in  possession  and  control  of  all 
records,  books,  papers,  offices,  equipment,  supplies,  moneys,  funds,  appi-opriations, 
land  and  other  property  real  or  personal  now  or  hereafter  held  for  the  benefit  or  use 
of  said  bodies,  offices  and  officers. 

The  boards  of  district  oil  and  gas  commissioners,  the  offices  of  district  oil  and 
gas  commissioners  and  the  board  of  review,  correction  and  equalization  created 
by  the  act  approved  June  10,  1915,  establishing  the  department  of  petroleum  and  gas, 
are  hereby  respectively  continued  in  force  with  the  powers,  duties,  responsibilities 
and  jurisdiction  in  them  vested  by  the  provisions  of  said  act  approved  June  10,  1915. 
as  amended ;  provided,  that  said  board  of  review  .shall  consist  of  the  director  of 
natural  resources,  the  director  of  finance  and  the  chairman  of  the  state  board  of 
equalization. 

373^.  The  management  and  control  of  the  property  acquired  by  the  State  of 
California  under  or  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  the  act  entitled  "An  act  to  accept 
the  gift  to  the  state  of  San  Pasqual  battlefield  in  San  Diego  county,  to  provide  for 
collecting  and  systematizing  the  history  of  said  battle,  for  determining  the  exact 
location  thereof,  and  to  report  a  suitable  method  of  marking  said  battlefield  and 
commemorating  the  hereoism  of  those  Americans  who  fought  and  died  there," 
approved  May  11,  1919,  is  hereby  transferred  to  and  vested  in  the  department  of 
natural  resources. 

373(.  From  and  after  the  date  upon  which  this  act  takes  effect,  the  department 
of  natural  resources  shall  be  and  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  expend 
the  moneys  in  any  appropriation  or  in  any  special  fund  in  the  state  treasury  now 
remaining  or  made  available  by  law  for  the  administration  of  the  provisions  of  all 
the  statutes  the  administration  of  which  is  committed  to  the  department,  or  for  the 
use,  support,  or  maintenance  of  any  board,  bureau,  commission,  department,  office 
or  officer  whose  duties,  powers,  and  functions  are,  by  the  provisions  of  this  article, 
transferred  to  and  conferred  upon  the  department  of  natural  resources.  Such 
expenditures  by  the  department  shall  be  made  in  accordance  with  law  in  carrying 
out  the  purposes  for  which  such  appropriations  were  made  or  such  special  funds 
created. 


160  MINERAL    INDUSTRY    OP    CALIFORNIA. 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  CALIFORNIA  STATE 
MINING  BUREAU. 

During  the  past  forty-seven  years,  in  carrying  out  the  provisions  of 
the  organic  act  creating  the  California  State  Mining  Bureau,  there 
have  been  published  many  reports,  bulletins  and  maps  which  go  to  make 
up  a  library  of  detailed  information  on  the  mineral  industry  of  the 
state,  a  large  part  of  which  could  not  be  duplicated  from  any  other  ^ 
source.  j| 

One  feature  that  has  added  to  the  popularity  of  the  publications  is 
that  many  of  them  have  been  distributed  without  cost  to  the  public,  and 
even  tlie  more  elaborate  ones  have  been  sold  at  a  price  which  barely 
covers  the  cost  of  printing. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  funds  for  the  advancing  of  the  work  of  this 
department  have  often  been  limited,  many  of  the  reports  and  bulletins 
mentioned  were  printed  in  limited  editions  which  are  now  entirely 
exhausted. 

Copies  of  such  publications  are  available,  however,  in  the  Bureau's 
offices  in  the  Ferry  Building,  San  Francisco ;  New  Orpheum  Building, 
Los  Angeles;  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Sacramento;  Santa 
Maria;  Santa  Paula;  Coalinga;  Taft;  Bakersfield.  They  may  also  be 
found  in  many  public,  private  and  technical  libraries  in  California 
and  other  states,  and  foreign  countries. 

A  catalog  of  all  publications  of  the  Bureau,  from  1880  to  1917, 
giving  a  synopsis  of  their  contents,  is  issued  as  Bulletin  No.  77. 

Publications  in  stock  may  he  obtained  by  addressing  any  of  the  offices 
of  the  State  Mining  Bureau  and  enclosing  the  requisite  amount  in  the 
case  of  publications  that  have  a  list  price.  The  Bureau  is  authorized 
to  receive  only  coin,  stamps  or  money  orders,  and  it  will  be  appreciated 
if  remittance  is  made  in  this  manner  rather  than  by  personal  check. 

The  prices  noted  include  delivery  charges  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States.  IMoney  orders  should  be  made  payable  to  the  State  Mining 
Bureau. 

REPORTS. 

Asterisks  (••)  indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print. 

Price  ; 

**First  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1880,  43  pp.     Henry  G. 

Hanks -- 

♦♦Second  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1882,  514  pp.,  4  illustra- 
tions, 1  map.     Henry  G.  Hanks ; __ 

♦♦Third  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1883,  111  pp..  21  illustra- 
tions.    Henry   G.   Hanks 1 

♦♦Fourth  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1884,  410  pp.,  7  illustra-  e 

tions.     Henry   G.   Hanks _- 

♦♦Fifth  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1885,  234  pp.,  15  illustra- 
tions. 1  geological  map.     Henry  G.  Hanks __ 

♦♦Sixth  Annual   Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  Part  I,  1886,  145  pp.,  3 

illustrations,  1  map.     Henry  G.  Hanks .c ■ — 

♦♦Part  H,  1887,  222  pp.,  3G  illustrations.     William  Irelan.  .Tr.i _     __ 

♦♦Seventh  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1887,  315  pp.     WiUiam 

Irelan,  Jr.   :-- — 

♦♦Eighth  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1888,  948  pp.,  122  illustra- 
tions.    William   Irelan.  .Tr — 

='-*Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1889,  352  pp.,  57  illustra- 
tions, 2  maps.     William  Irelan,  Jr — 

♦♦Tenth  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  1890,  983  pp.,  179  illustra- 
tions, 10  maps.     \Villiam  Irelan,  Jr — 


i 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  161 

REPORTS— Continued. 

Asterisks  (*♦)  Indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print. 

Price 
Eleventh  Report   (First  Biennial)    of  the  State  Mineralogist,  for  the  two 
years   ending   September  15,   1892,  612   pp.,   73   illustrations,   4   maps. 

William  Irelan,  Jr $1.00 

♦♦Twelfth  Report   (Second  Biennial)   of  the  State  Mineralogist,  for  the  two 
years  ending   September  15,  1894,  541   pp.,  101   illustrations,  5  maps. 

J.  J.  Crawford 

♦♦Thirteenth  Report   (Third  Biennial)  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  for  the  two 
years   ending   September   15,   189G,   720   pp.,    93   illustrations,   1   map. 

J.  J.  Crawford 

Chapters   of   the    State   Mineralogist's    Report,    Biennial    Period,    1913-1914, 

Fletcher  Hamilton  : 
♦♦Mines  and  Mineral  Resources,  Amador,  Calaveras  and  Tuolumne  Counties, 

172   pp.,   paper ^ 

Mines  and  Mineral  Resources,  Colusa,  Glenn,  Lake,  Marin,  Napa,  Solano, 

Sonoma  and  Yolo  Counties,  208  pp.,  paper ..50 

Mines    and    Mineral    Resources,    Del    Norte,    Humboldt,    and    Mendocino 

Counties,  59   pp.,  paper .25 

♦♦Mines   and   Mineral    Resources,   Fresno,   Kern,   Kings,    Madera,    Mariposa, 

Merced,  San  Joaquin  and  Stanislaus  Counties,  220  pages,  paper 

Mines    and    Mineral    Resources    of    Imperial    and     San    Diego    Counties, 

113   pp.,   paper .35 

♦♦Mines    and    Mineral    Resources,    Shasta,    Siskiyou    and    Trinity    Counties, 

ISO   pp.,   paper 

♦♦Fourteenth  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  for  the  Biennial  Period  1913- 
1014,  Fletcher  Hamilton,  1915: 
A  General  Report  on  the  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Amador,  Cala- 
veras, Tuolumne,  Colusa.  Glenn,  Lake,  Marin,  Napa,  Solano,  Sonoma, 
Yolo,  Del  Norte,  Humboldt.  JNIendocino,  Fresno,  Kern.  Kings,  Madera, 
Mariposa,  Merced,  San  .Toaquin,  Stanislaus,  San  Diego.  Imperial. 
Shasta,    Siskiyou,    and    Trinity    Counties,    974    pp.,    275    illustrations, 

cloth    

Chapters   of   the    State   Mineralogist's    Report,    Biennial    Period,    1915-191 G. 

Fletcher  Hamilton  : 
♦♦Mines  and  Mineral   Resources,  Alpine,   Inyo  and  Mono  Counties,   17G  pp., 

paper    

♦♦Mines  and  Mineral  Resources,  Butte,  Lassen,  Modoc,  Sutter,  and  Tehama 

Counties,   91   pp.,   paper 

Mines  and  Mineral   Resources,   El   Dorado,   Placer,   Sacranaento,   and   Yuba 

Counties,   198  pp..   paper .05 

Mines   and   Mineral   Resources,   Monterey,   San   Benito,   San   Luis   Obispo, 

Santa  Barbara,  and  Ventura  Counties,  183  pp.,  paper .05 

Mines  and  Mineral  Resources,  Los  Angeles,  Orange,  and  Riverside  Counties, 

13G   pp.,    paper .50 

♦♦Mines  and  Mineral  Resources,  San  Bernardino  and  Tulare  Counties,  ISO  pp., 
paper    

♦♦Fifteenth  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  for  the  Biennial  Period  1915- 
191G,  Fletcher  Hamilton.  1917: 
A  General  Report  on  the  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Alpine,  Inyo, 
Mono,  Butte,  Lassen,  .Modoc,  Sutter.  Tehnma,  Placer,  Sncrnmento, 
Yuba,  Los  Angeles,  Orange,  Riverside.  San  Benito,  San  Luis  Obispo, 
Santa  Barbara,  Ventura,  San  Bernardino  and  Tulare  Counties,  990  pp., 

413  illustrations,  cloth 

Chapters    of    the    State    Mineralogist's    Report,    Biennial    Period    1917-1918, 
Fletcher  Hamilton: 

Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Nevada  County,  270  pp.,  paper .75 

INIines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Plumas  County,  188  pp.,  paper ..50 

Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Sierra  County,  144  pp..  paper .50 

Seventeenth   Report   of   the   State   Mineralogist.    1920,    Mining   in   California 

during  1920.  Fletcher  Hamilton:  562  pp..  71  illustrations,  cloth 1.75 

11—55185 


162  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

REPORTS— Continued. 

Asterisks  (**)  indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print.  Price 

Eighteenth    Report   of   the   State   Mineralogist,   1922,   Mining   in    California, 
Fletcher   Hamilton.     Chapters  published   monthly   beginning  with  Jan- 
uary,  1922: 
♦♦January,   **Febriiary,   March,  April,  May,  June,  July,  August,   September, 

October,  November,  December,  1922 Free 

Chapters  of  Nineteenth  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  'Mining  in  California,' 
Fletcher   Hamilton   and   Lloyd   L.   Root.     January,   February,   March, 

September,   1923   Free 

Chapters  of  Twentieth  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  'Mining  in  California,' 
IJoyd  L.  Root.     Published  quarterly.     January,  April,  July,  October, 

1924,  per  copy $0.25 

Chapters    of    Twenty-first    Report    of    the    State    Mineralogist,    'Mining    in 
California,'   Lloyd   L.   Root.      Published   quarterly. 

January,  1925,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Sacramento,  Monterey  and 

Orange    counties .25 

April,    1925,    Mines    and    Mineral    Resources    of    Calaveras,    Merced,    San 

Joaquin,   Stanislaus   and   Ventura   counties .25 

July,  1925,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Del  Norte,  Humboldt  and  San 

Diego   counties   .25 

October,  192.^,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Siskiyou,  San  Luis  Obispo 

and    Santa    Barbara   counties .25 

Subscription,  $1.00  in  advance  (by  calendar  year,  only). 
Chapters    of   Twenty-second    Report   of    the    State    Mineralogist,    'Mining   in 
California.'  Lloyd  L.  Root.     Published  quarterly. 

January,  1926,   Mines  and   Mineral  Resources  of  Trinity  and   Santa  Cruz 

counties     .25 

April,  1926,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Shasta,  San  Benito  and  Impe- 
rial counties .25 

July,  192G,  IMines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Marin  and  Sonoma  Counties .25 

October,  1926,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  El  Dorado  and  Inyo  counties, 

also   report   on   Minaret   District,   Madera    County .25 

Chapters  of  Twenty-third  Report  of  the  State  Mineralogist,  'Mining  in  Cali- 
fornia,' Lloyd  L.  Root.     Published  quarterly. 

January,   1927,   Mines   and   Mineral   Resources  of   Contra   Costa   County ; 

Santa  Catalina  Island .25 

April,  1927,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Amador  and  Solano  counties .25 

July,  1927,  Mines  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Placer  and  Los  Angeles  counties        .25 
Chapters  of  State  Oil  and  Gas  Supervisoi-'s  Report : 

Summary  of  Operations — California  Oil  Fields,  July,  1918,  to  March,  1919 

(one  volume)    Free 

Summary  of  Operations — California  Oil  Fields.     Published  monthly,  begin- 
ning April,  1919 : 

**April,  **May,  June,  **July,  **August,  **September,  **October,  November, 

**December,  1919 Free 

January,  February,  March,  April,  **May,  June,  July,  **August,  September, 

October,   November,  December,  1920 Free 

January,    **Fehruary,    **March,    **April,    May,    June,    **Julj',    August, 

**September,  **October,  **November,  **December,  1921 Free 

January,    February,    March,    April,   May.   June,   July,    August,    September, 

October,   November,   December,  1922 Free 

January,   February,   March,   April,   May,   June,   July,   August,    September, 

October,  November,  December,  1923 Free 

January,   February,   March,   April,    May,   June,   July,   August,    September, 

October,    November.   December,    1924 Free 

January,    February,    March,    April,    May,    June,   July,    August,    September, 

October,  November,  December,  1925 Free 

January,   February,   March,   April,   May,   June,   July,   August,    September, 

October,  November,  December,  1926 Free 

January,   1927   Free 

«l 
I 


STATISTICS   OF   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION. 


163 


BULLETINS. 
Asterisks  (*•)  indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print.  Prlc* 

etin  No.  1.     A   Description    of    Some   Desiccated    Human    IJeniaius,    b.\ 

Winslow  Anderson.     ISSS,  41  pp.,  6  illustrations 

etin  No.  2.     Metliods   of  Mine   Timl)ering,    by    W.    li.    Storms.     1894, 

58  pp.,  T;j  illustrations 

etin  No.  3.     Gas  and  Tetroleum  Yielding  Formations  of  Central  Valley 

of  California,  by  W.  L.  Watts.     1894,  100  pp.,  13  illustrations.  4  map.s_     

etin  No.  4.  Catalogue  of  Californian  Fossils,  by  J.  G.  Cooper,  1894, 
73  pp.,  (J7  illustrations.     (Part  I  was  published  in  the  Seventh  Annual 

Uenort  of  the  State  Jlineralogist,  1887.) 

etin  No.  5.     The  Cyanide  Process,  1894,  by  Dr.  A.  Sciieidcl.     140  i)i)., 

40  illustrations 

etin   No.  G.     California   Gold   Mill    Practices,    189.",    by    E.    P..    Preston. 

85  pp.,  4G  illustrations $0.50 

etin   No.  7.     Mineral    Production    of    California,    by    Coiintios    for    the 

year  1894,  by  Cliarles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet__l 

etin   No.  S.     Mineral    Production    of    California,    by    Counties    for    the 

year  189."),  by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin    No.   9.     Mine    Drainage,   Pumps,   etc.,    l)y    Ilans   C.   Behr.      189G. 

210  pp.,  20G  illustrations 

etin  No.  10.     A  bibliography  Relating  to  the  Geologj\  Pal, neon  to  logy  and 

Mineral  Resources  of  California,  by  Anthony  W.  Vogdes.    189G,  121  pp.     

etin  No.  11.  Oil  and  Gas  Yielding  Formations  of  Los  Angeles,  Ventura 
and  Santa  Barbara  counties,  by  W.  L.  Watts.     1897,  94  pp.,  G  maps, 

31   illustrations , 

etin  No.  12.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties  for  189G, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin  No.  13.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties  for  1897, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin  No.  14.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties  for  1898, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale 

etin   No.   15.      Map   of   Oil   City   Fields,   Fresno   County,   by   John   11. 

Mean.s.     1899   _' 

etin  No.  IG.     The  Genesis  of  Petroleum  and  Asphaltum  in  California, 

by  A.  S.  Cooper.     1899.  39  pp.,  29  illustrations 

etin   No.  17.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties  for  1899, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin   No.   18.     Mother  Lode   Region   of  California,   by   W.   H.   Storms. 

1900,   154   pp.,  49   illustrations 

etin  No.  19.     Oil  and  Gas  Yielding  Formations  of  California,  by  W.  L. 

Watts.     1900,  23G  pp.,  GO  illustrations,  8  maps 

etin  No.  20.  Synopsis  of  General  Report  of  State  ^Mining  Bureau,  by 
W.  L.  Watts.  1901,  21  pp.  This  bulletin  contains  a  brief  statement 
of  the  progress  of  the  miuei-al  industry  in  California  for  the  four  years 

ending  December,  1899 

etin  No.  21.     Mineral  Production  of  California  by  Counties,  by  Charles 

G.  Yale.     1900.     Tabulated  sheet 1 

etin  No.  22.     Mineral  Production  of  California  for  Fourteen  Years,  by 

Charles  G.  Yale.     1900.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin   No.  23.     The  Copper  Resources  of  California,  by  P.   C.   DuBois, 

F.  M.  Anderson.  J.  II.  Tibbits  and  G.  A.  Tweedy.     1902,  282  pp.,  G9 

illustrations,  and  9  maps .50 

etin  No.  24.    The  Saline  Deposits  of  California,  by  G.  E.  Bailey.     1902, 

21G  pp.,  99  illustrations,  5  maps 

etin  No.  25.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  for  1901, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin   No.  26.      Mineral   Production  of  California   for  the  past   Fifteen 

Years,  by  Charles  G.  Yale.     1902.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin    No.    27.     The    Quicksilver    Resources    of    California,    by    William 

Forstner.     1903,  273  pp.,  144  illustrations,  8  maps 

etin   No.  28.     Mineral   Production  of  California,   for  1902,  by  Charles 

G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin  No.  29.  Mineral  Production  of  California  for  Sixteen  Years,  by 
Charles  G.  Yale.     1903.     Tabulated  sheet 


164  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

BULLETINS— Continued. 

Asterisks  (**)  indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print.  Prica 

etiu  No.  30.     Bibliography  Relating  to  the  Geology,  PaliEontology,  and 

Mineral  Resources  of  California,  by  A.  W.  Vogdes.    1903,  290  pp 

etin   No.   31.      Chemical   Analyses   of  California  Petroleum,   by   H.   N. 

Cooper.     1904.     Tabulated  sheet 

elin  No.  32.     Production  and  Use  of  Petroleum  in  California,  by  Paul 

W.  Prutzman.     1904,  230  pp.,  116  illustrations,  14  maps 

etin  No.  33.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  for  1903, 

bv    Charles   G.    Yale.     Tabulated   sheet 

etin   No.  34.     Mineral   Production   of  California  for  Seventeen   Years, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     1904.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin   No.  35.     Mines  and   Minerals  of  California,   by  Charles  G.  Yale. 

1904,  5.5  pp.,  20  county  maps.     Relief  map  of  California 

etin   No.  3G.     Gold  Dredging  in   California,  by  J.  E.  Doolittle.     1905, 

120  pp.,  Ofj  illustrations.  3  maps 

etin  No.  37.     Gems,  Jewelers'  IMaterials.  and  Oi-namental  Stones  of 

California,  by  George  F.  Kunz.     1905.  1G8  pp.,  54  illustrations 

etiu    No.   3S.      Structural   and    Industrial    Materials   of  California,    by 
Wm.  Forstner,  T.  C.  Hopkins.  C.  Naramore  and  L.  H.  Eddy.     1906, 

412  pp.,  150  illustrations,  1  map 

etin  No.  39.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  for  1904, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etiu    No.   40.      Mineral   Production   of  California   for   Eighteen   Years, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     190.5.     Tabulated  sheet 

etin  No.  41.     Mines  and  Minerals  of  California,  for  1904,  by  Charles 

G.  Yale.     1905.  .54  pp..  20  county  maps 

etin  No.  42.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  1905,  by 

Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etiu    No.   43.      Mineral    Production   of  California   for   Nineteen   Years, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etiu   No.  44.     California  Mines  and  Minerals  for  1905,  by  Charles  G. 

Yale.     1907,  31  pp.,  20  county  maps ^ 

etin  No.  45.     Auriferous  Black  Sands  of  California,  by  J.  A.  Edman.  m 

1007.     10  pp " 

etin   No.  46.     General   Index   of  Publications  of  the   California    State 

JMininff  Bureau,  by  Charles  G.  Yale.     1907.  54  pp $0.30 

etin   No.   47.     Mineral   Production   of   California,    by   Counties,   1906, 

by  Charles  G.  Yale.     Tabulated  sheet 

etiu    No.   48.      Mineral    Production    of   California    for   Twenty    Years. 

1906,  by  Charles  G.  Yale 

etin  No.  49.     Mines  and  Minerals  of  California  for  1906,  by  Charles 

G.   Yale.     34   pp _. 

etin  No.  50.     The  Copper  Resources  of  California,  1908.  by  A.  Haus- 
mann,  J.  Kruttschnitt,  Ji'.,  W.  E.  Thorne  and  J.  A.  Edman,  366  pp., 

74  illustrations.      (Revised  edition.) . 1.00 

etin  No.  51.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  1907,  by 

D.  ri.  Walker.     Tabulated  sheet - 

etin  No.  52.     Mineral  Production  of  California  for  Twenty-one  Years, 

1907,  by  D.  H.  Walker.     Tabulated  sheet _. 

etin  No.  53.     Mineral  Production  of  California  for  1907,  with  County 

Maps,  by  D.  H.  Walker,  02  pp _. 

etin  No.  54.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  by  D.  H. 

Walker,  1908.     Tabulated  sheet .. 

etin  No.  55.     Mineral  Production  of  California  for  TSventy-two  Years, 

by  D.  H.  Walker,  1908.     Tabulated  sheet _. 

etin    No.   56.      Mineral   Production   for  1908,   with   County   Maps   and 

Mining  Laws  of  California,  by  D.  H.  Walker.     78  pp _- 

etin    No.  57.     Gold   Dredging   in   California,  by   W.   B.   Winston   and 

Chas.  Janin.    1910,  312  pp.,  239  illustrations  and  10  maps _. 

etiu   No.  58.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties,  by  D.  H. 

Walker,  1909.     Tabulated  sheet _. 

etin  No.  59.     Mineral  Production  of  California  for  Twenty-three  Years, 
by  D.  H.  Walker,  1909.    Tabulated  sheet _. 


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STATISTICS   OP   ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  165 

BULLETINS— Continued. 
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♦♦Bulletin  No.  60.     Mineral  Production  for  1909,  County  Maps  and  Mining 

Laws  of  California,  by  D.  H.  Walker.     94  pp 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  Gl.     Mineral  Production  of  California,  by  Counties  for  1910, 

by  D.  H.  Walker.    Tabulated  sheet 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  G2.     Mineral  Production  of  California  for  Twenty-four  Years, 

by  D.  H.  Walker,  1910.     Tabulated  sheet 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  63.     Petroleum  in  Southern  California,  by  P.  W.  Prutzman. 

1912,  430  pp.,  41  illustrations,  6  maps 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  64.     Mineral  Production  for  1911,  by  E.  S.  Boauch.     49  pp.__     

♦♦Bulletin  No.  65.     Mineral  Production  for  1912.  by  E.  S.  Boalich.      64  pp.__     

♦♦Bulletin  No.  66.     Mining  Laws  of  the  United  States  and  California.     1914, 

S9  pp. —. 

♦♦Bulletin    No.    67.      Minerals   of   California,    by    Arthur    S.    Eakle.      1914, 

226    pp.    

♦♦Bulletin   No.   68.     Mineral    Production   for  1913,   with   County   Maps   and 

Mining  Laws,  by  E.  S.  Boalich.     160  pp 

♦♦Bulletin   No.  69.     Petroleum   Industry  of  California,   with  Folio  of  Maps 

(18  by  22),  by  R.  P.  McLaughlin  and  C.  A.  Waring.     1914,  519  pp., 

13  illustrations,  83  figs.     [IS  plates  in  accompanying  folio.] 

♦♦Bulletin    No.   70.     Mineral    Production    for   1914,   with   County   Maps  and 

Mining   Laws.     184   pp 

♦♦Bulletin    No.   71.     Mineral   Production    for   1915,   with   County    Maps   and 

Mining  Laws,  by  Walter  W.  Bradley.     193  pp.,  4  illustrations 

Bulletin  No.  72.     The  Geologic  Formations  of  California,  by  James  Perrin 

Smith.      1916,    47    pp $0.25 

♦♦Reconnaissance  Geologic  Map   (of  which  Bulletin  72  is  explanatory),  in  23 

colors.     Scale :  1  inch   =   12  miles.     Mounted 

♦♦Bulletin   No.  73.     First  Annual   Report  of  the   State  Oil  and  Gas  Super- 
visor of  California,  for  the  fiscal  year  1915-16,  by  R.  P.  McLaughlin. 

278  pp.,  26  illustrations 

Bulletin  No.  74.     Mineral  Production  of  California  in  1916,  with  County 

Maps,  by  Walter  W.  Bradley.     179  pp.,  12  illustrations Free 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  75.     United  States  and  California  Mining  Laws,  1917.    115  pp., 

paper  

Bulletin  No.  76.     Manganese  and  Chromium  in  California,  by  Walter  W. 

Bradley,   Emile   Huguenin,    C.   A.   Logan,    W.   B.   Tucker   and   C.    A. 

Waring,  1918.    248  pp.,  51  illustrations,  5  maps,  paper .50 

Bulletin    No.    77.     Catalogue   of   Publications   of   California    State   Mining 

Bureau,  lSSO-1917,  by  E.  S.  Boalich.     44  pp.,  paper Free 

Bulletin   No.  78.     Quicksilver  Resources  of  California,  with  a  Section  on 

Metallurgy  and  Ore-Dressing,  by  Walter  W.  Bradley,  1918.     389  pp., 

77  photographs  and  42  plates   (colored  and  line  cuts),  cloth 1.50 

Bulletin  No.  79.     Magnesite   in    California,   by   W^alter   W,   Bradley,   1925, 

147  pp.,  62  photographs,  11  line  cuts  and   maps,  cloth 1.00 

Bulletin    No.    80.     Tungsten,    Molybdenum    and    Vanadium    in    California. 

(In    preparation.)    ^ 

Bulletin  No.  81.     Foothill  Copper  Belt  of  California.     (In  preparation.) __     

♦♦Bulletin  No.  82.     Second  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Oil  and  Gas  Super- 
visor, for  the  fiscal  year  1916-1917,  by  R.  P.  McLaughlin,  1918.    412  pp., 

31  illustrations,   cloth 

Bulletin    No.   83.     California   Mineral    Production    for   1917,   with   County 

Maps,  by  Walter  W.  Bradley.     179  pp.,  paper Free 

♦♦Bulletin   No.  84.     Third  Annual  Report  of  the  State  Oil  and  Gas  Saper- 

visor,    for    the    fiscal    year    1917-1918,    by    R.    P.    McLaughlin,    1918, 

617  pp.,  28  illustrations,  cloth 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  85.    Platinum  and  Allied  Metals  in  California,  by  C.  A.  Logan. 

1919.     10  photographs,  4  plates,  120  pp.,  paper 

Bulletin    No.   86.     California   Mineral    Production    for   1918,   with    County 

Maps,  by  Walter  W.  Bradley,  1919.     212  pp.,  paper Free 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  87.     Commercial  Minerals  of  California,  with  notes  on  their 

uses,    distribution,    properties,    ores,    field    tests,    and    preparation    for 

market,  by  W.  0.  Castello,  1920.     124  pp.,  paper 


166  MINERAL   INDUSTRY   OF    CALIFORNIA. 

BULLETINS— Continued. 
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Bnllctiu    No.   SS.     California    Mineral    Production    for   1919,    with    County 

Maps,  by   Walter  W.  Bradley,  1920.     204  pp.,  paper Free 

♦♦Bulletin  No.  89.    Petroleum  Resources  of  California,  with  Special  Reference 

to   Unproved   Areas,   by   Lawrence  Vander   Leek,   1021.     12  figures,   6 

photographs,  6  maps  in  pocket,  ISG  pp..  cloth 

Bulletin    No.   00.     California    Mineral    Production    for   1920,    with    County 

Maps,  by  ^Yalter  W.  Bradley,  1921.     218  pp.,  paper Free 

Bulletin  Xo,  91.     Minerals  of  California,  by  Arthur  S.  Eakle,  1923,  328  pp., 

cloth    $1.00 

Bulletin   Xo.  02.     Gold  Placers  of  California,  by  Chas.  S.  Haley.  1023.    1(57 

pp.,  3G  photographs  and  7  plates   (colored  and  line  cuts,  also  geologic 

map) ,  cloth 1..50 

Extra  copies  of  the  Geologic  Map    (in  4  colors) .50 

Bulletin   Xo.  O.*^.     California  Mineral  Production   for  1022,   by   Walter  W. 

Bradley,  1923,  188  pp.,  paper Free 

Bulletin   No.  04.     California   Mineral   Production   for  1923,  by   Walter  W. 

Bradley,    1924.    1G2    pp.,    paper Free 

Bulletin  No.  05.     Geology  and  Ore  Deposits  of  the  Randsburg  Quadrangle, 

by   Carlton    D.    Ilulin,   192.1.     152   pp.,   49   photographs,   13   line  cuts, 

1    colored    geoH-Kif    map.    cloth 2.00 

Bulletin  No.  96.     California  Mineral  Production  for  1924,  by  Walter  W. 

Bradley,   1925.     173  pp.,  paper Free 

Bulletin  No.  97.     California  Mineral  Production  for  1925,  by  Walter  W. 

Bradley,    1926.      172    pp.,    paper Free 

Bulletin  No.  100.     C.ilifurnia  Mineral  Production  for  1926,  by  Walter  W.  Bradley, 

1927.     174  pp.,  paper Free 

PRELIMINARY   REPORTS. 

Asterisks   (**)    indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print. 

♦•Preliminary  Report  No.  1.     Notes  on  Damage  by  Water  in  California  Oil 

Fields,  December,  1913.     By   R.  P.  McLaughlin.     4  pp 

♦♦Preliminary  Report  No.  2.     Notes  on  Damage  by  Water  in  California  Oil 

Fields,  March,  1914.     By   R.  P.  McLaughlin.     4  pp 

Preliminary   Report   No.  3.     Manganese  and   Chromium,  1917.     By   E.   S. 

Boalich.     32   pp Free 

Preliminary    Report    No.   4.     Tungsten,    Molybdenum    and    Vanadium.     By 

E.  S.  Boalich  and  W.  O.  Castello,  1918.     34  pp.     Paper Free 

Preliminary  Report  No.  5.     Antimony,  Graphite,  Nickel,  Potash,  Strontium 

and  Tin.    By  E.  S.  Boalich  and  W.  O.  Castello,  1918.    44  pp.     Pape.  ._     Free 
♦♦Preliminary  Report  No.  G.     A  Review  of  Mining  in  California  During  1910. 

Fletcher  Hamilton,  1920.     43  pp.     Paper 

♦♦Preliminary    Report   No.  7.     The  Clay   Industry   in   California.     By  E.   S. 

Boalich,  W.  O.  Castello,  E.  llnguenin,  C.  A.  Logan,  and  W.  B.  Tucker, 

1020.     102  pp.     24  illustrations.     Paper 

♦•Preliminary    Report   No.   8.     A    Review    of    Mining   in    California    During 

1921,  with   Xotes  on  the  Outlook  for  1922.     Fletcher  Hamilton,  1922. 

68  pp.     Paper ; 

MISCELLANEOUS    PUBLICATIONS. 
Asterisks  (••)   Indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print. 

♦♦First  Annual  Catalogue  of  the  State  Museum  of  California,  being  the  collec- 
tion made  by  the  Stale  Mining  Bureau  during  the  year  ending  April  16, 
1881.     3.50  pp 

♦♦Catalogue  of  books,  maps,  lithographs,  photographs,  etc.,  in  the  library  of 

the  State  Mining  Bureau  at  San  Francisco,  May  15,  1884.    19  pp 

♦♦Catalogue  of  the  State  Museum  of  California,  Volume  II.  being  the  collec- 
tion made  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau  from  April  16,  1881,  to  May  5, 
1884.     220   pp ^ 

♦♦Catalogue  of  the  State  Museum  of  California,  Volume  III,  being  the  collec- 
tion made  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau  from  May  15,  1884,  to  March  31, 
1887.      195   pp 

♦♦Catalogue  of  the  State  Museum  of  California,  Volume  IV,  being  the  collec- 
tion made  by  the  State  Mining  Bureau  from  March  30,  1887,  to  August 
20,   1890.     261  pp 


STATISTICS    OF    ANNUAL   PRODUCTION.  167 

MISCELLANEOUS    PUBLICATIONS— Continued. 

Asterisks  (**)  indicate  tlie  publication  is  out  of  print.  Price 

♦'Catalogue  of  the  Library  of  the  California  State  Mining  Bureau,  September 

1,  1S92.     149  pp 

**CataIogue  of  West  North  American  and  Many  Foreign   Shells  with  Their 
Geographical  Ranges,  by  J.  G.  Cooper.     Printed  for  the  State  Mining 

■     Bureau,  April,  1894 

**Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  four  years  ending  September,  1900. 

15    pp.      Paper 

Bulletin.      Reconnaissance   of    the   Colorado   Desert    Mining    District.      By 

Stephen  Bowers,  1901.     19  pp.     2  illustrations.     Paper Free 

Commercial    Mineral    Notes.      A    monthly    mimeographed    sheet,    beginning 

April,  1923 Free 

MAPS. 

Register  of  Mines  With  Maps. 

Asterlslts  (*•)  Indicate  out  of  print. 

•♦Register  of  Mines,  with  IMap,  Amador  County 

. **Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Butte  County 

**Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Calaveras  County 

•♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  El    Dorado    County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Inyo  County   

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,   Kern    County 

♦♦Register  of  Miners,  with  j\lap.  Lake  County  

♦♦Register  of  INIines,  with  Map,  Mariposa  County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,   Nevada  County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Placer  County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Plumas    County    

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  San   Bernardino   County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  San  Diego  County 

Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Santa   Barbara   County    (1906) $0.25 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Shasta  County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Sierra    County    

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,   Siskiyou   County 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Trinity    County : 

♦♦Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Tuolumne   County   

Register  of  Mines,  with  Map,  Yuba   County    (1905) .25 

Register  of  Oil  Wells,  with  Map,  Los  Angeles  City  (1906) ,35 

OTHER    MAPS. 

Asterisks  (♦*)  indicate  the  publication  is  out  of  print. 

♦♦Map  of  California,  Showing  Mineral  Deposits  (50x60  in.) 

**Map   of   Forest   Reserves   in   California 

♦♦Mineral  and  Relief  Map  of  California 

♦♦Map  of  El  Dorado  County,   Showing  Boundaries,  National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Madera  County,  Showing  Boundaries,  National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Placer   County,   Showing  Boundaries,   National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Shasta  County,   Showing  Boundaries,  National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Sierra  County,  Showing  Boundaries,  National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Siskiyou  County,  Showing  Boundaries,  National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Tuolumne  County,   Showing  Boundaries,  National  Forests 

♦♦Map  of  Mother   Lode    Region . 

♦♦Map  of  Desert  Region  of  Southern   California 

Map  of  Minaret   District,    Madera    County .20 

Map  of  Copper  Deposits  in  California .05 

♦♦Map  of  Calaveras  County   

♦♦Map  of  Plumas  County 

♦♦Map  of  Trinity   County   

♦♦Map  of  Tuolumne  County 

Geological  Map  of  Inyo  County.     Scale  1  inch  equals  4  miles .60 

Map  of  California  accompanying  Bulletin  No.  89,  showing  generalized  classi- 
fication  of   land  with   regard   to  oil   possibilities.     Map  only,   without 

Bulletin    .25 


168  MINERAL   INDUSTRY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

OIL    FIELD    MAPS, 

Price 

**Geological  Map  of  California.  1916.  Scale  1  inch  equals  12  miles.  As 
accurate  and  up-to-date  as  available  data  will  permit  as  regards  topog- 
raphy and  geography.  Shows  railroads,  highways,  post  offices  and  other 
towns.  First  geological  map  that  has  been  available  since  1892,  and 
shows  geology  of  entire  state  as  no  other  map  does.     Geological  details 

lithographed   in   23   colors.     Mounted ' 

Topographic   Map   of    Sierra   Nevada   Gold   Belt,   showing   distribution   of 
auriferous  gravels,   accompanying  Bulletin  No.  92    (also  sold  singly) 

In  4  colors .50 

These    maps    are    revised    from    time    to    time    as   development    work 
advances  and  ownerships  change. 

Map  No.     1— Sargent,  Santa  Clara  County , $0.50 

Map  No.     2 — Santa  Maria,  including  Cat  Canyon  and  Los  Alamos .75 

Map  No.     3 — Santa  Maria,  including  Casmalia  and  Lompoc .75 

Map  No.     4 — Whittier-Fullerton.    including    Olinda,    Brea    Canyon,    Puente 

Hills,  East  Coyote  and  Richfield .75 

Map  No,     5 — Whittier-Fullerton,    including    Whittier,    West    Coyote,    and 

Montebello .75 

Map  No.     6 — Salt  Lake,  Los  Angeles  County .75 

Map  No.     7 — Sunset  and  San  Emido  and  Kern  County .75 

Map  No.     8 — South  Midway  and  Buena  Vista  Hills,  Kern  County .75 

Map  No.     9 — North  Midway  and  McKittrick,  Kern  County .75 

Map  No.   10 — Belridge  and  McKittrick,  Kern  County .75 

Map  No.  11 — Lost  Hills  and  North  Belridge,  Kern  County ,75 

Map  No.  12 — Devils   Den,   Kern   County .75 

Map  No.  13 — Kern  River,  Kern  County .75 

Map  No.  14 — Coalinga,  Fresno  County 1.00 

Map  No.  15— Elk  Hills,  Kern  County .75 

Map  No.  16 — Ventura-Ojai,  Ventura  County .75 

Map  No.  17 — Santa  Paula-Sespe  Oil  Fields,  Ventura  County .75 

Map  No.  18— Piru-Simi-Newhall   Oil    Fields .75 

Map  No.  19 — Arroyo  Grande,  San  Luis  Obispo  County .75 

Map  No.  20— Long   Beach   Oil    Field 1.25 

Map  No.  21 — Portion  of  District  4,  Showing  Boundaries  of  Oil  Fields,  Kern 

and  Kings  counties .75 

Map  No.  22 — Portion    of    District    3,    Showing    Oil    Fields,    Santa    Barbara 

County   .75 

Map  No,  23 — Portion    of    District    2,    Showing    Boundaries    of    Oil    Fields, 

Ventura  County .75 

Map  No,  24 — Portion  of  District  1,  Showing  Boundaries  of  Oil  Fields,  Los 

Angeles  and  Orange  counties .75 

Map  No.  2G— Huntington  Beach  Oil  Field .75 

Map  No.  27— Santa  Fe  Springs  Oil  Field .75 

Map  No.  28 — Torrance,  Los  Angeles  County .75 

Map  No,  29 — Dominguez,    Los    Angeles    County .75 

Map  No.  30 — Rosecrans,  Los  Angeles  County .75 

Map  No.  31 — Inglewood.  Los  Angeles  County .75 

Map  No.  32 — Seal  Beach.  Los  Angeles  and  Orange  Counties .75 

DETERMINATION    OF    MINERAL    SAMPLES. 

Samples  (limited  to  three  at  one  time)  of  any  mineral  found  in  the  state  may  be 
sent  to  the  Bureau  for  identification,  and  the  same  will  be  classified  free  of  charge. 
No  samples  will  be  determined  if  received  from  points  outside  the  state.  It  must  be 
understood  that  no  assays,  or  quantitative  determinations  will  be  made.  Samples 
should  be  in  lump  form  if  possible,  and  marked  plainly  with  name  of  sender  on 
outside  of  package,  etc.  No  samples  will  be  received  unless  delivery  charges  are 
prepaid.  A  letter  should  accompany  sample,  giving  locality  where  mineral  was  found 
and  the  nature  of  the  information  desired. 


J 


INDEX. 


Page 

Alameda    County 130 

Alpine  County 130 

Aluminum     40 

Amador    County 130 

Amblygonite   108,   112 

American  Petroleum  Institute,  cited 27 

Andalusite    116 

Antimony    40 

native    40 

total    production 41 

Appendix    155-168 

Aquamarine    102,   103 

Architectural  terra  cotta 97 

Argonaut     Mine 48 

Arrowhead  Hot  Springs,  radioactivity  at 111 

Arsenic    41 

Art  Pottery 97 

Asbestos   94 

production   by   years 94 

Ash,  volcanic 112 

Asphalt   67 

Bancroft,   H.   H.,   cited 49 

Barytes 94 

total    production 95 

Ballast,    railroad 89,  90 

Bauxite   40 

Benitoite 103 

Bentonite 101,  102 

Beryl    102,  103 

Beryllium   41 

Bismuth    42 

Bisque    ware 97 

Bituminous    rock 67 

total    production 68 

Borates     121-123 

production,   1864-1926 123 

Bowles,    O.,    cited 85 

Bradley,   W.   W.,    cited 29 

Brick 68-71 

production  of  various  kinds 70 

total    production,    1893-1926 71 

Bromine    123 

Brown,   J.   R.,   cited 45 

Building  stone.      (See  Granite,  Marble,   Sandstone,  etc.) 

Bulletins,    list    of 163 

Bunker    Hill    Mine 47 

Bush,  R.  D.,  cited 23,  27 

Butte    County 131 

Cadmium    —  42 

Calaveras    County 131 

Calcium  chloride 123-124 

use  on   roads 122 

California,   area   of : 129 

map  of,  showing  approximate  location  of  oil  fields 32 

Californite    103 

Carbon  dioxide  gas    (natural)   produced 21 

Casing-head    gas : : 21 

Celestite    119 

Cement    71-73 

natural    . 73 

total    production 73 

Chalcedony     102 

Chart,  California,  showing  location  of  oil  fields  and  districts 32 

non-ferrous  metals,  current  trend  of  world  production 39 

prices,  copper,  electrolytic 44 

lead,    common 52 

silver,  bar,  bullion 60 

zinc,    slab 65 

Chemical    stoneware 97 

Chimney    pipe . 97 

Chinaware    ,__, 97 


170  INDEX. 

Page 

Chromite     74—75 

concentration   of 74 

imports    of 74 

occurrence     of 74 

total    production 75 

Chrysoprase     . 103 

Clay,  for  oil  well  drilling  mud 97 

Clay,  pottery 95-98 

production,   1887-1926 98 

products    97 

of    United    States 97 

uses  of,  other  than  for  pottery 96 

Cliche    alloys 4  2,     43 

Coal    18 

total    production    of 19 

Cobalt    43 

Colemanite 122 

Colloidal    clay 102 

Collom,  R.  E.,  cited 29 

Colusa    County 132 

Concentration    of    chromite 74 

Concrete,  rock  for 90 

Conduit    97 

Contra   Costa   County 132 

Copper   37,    43-46 

chart,    trend   of  world   production 39 

electrolytic    copper    prices 44 

production.     lSS2-192fi 45 

stocks  of,  in  United  States 45- 

United   States  production   of 44-45 

Core     sand 89 

'Cornish'   or   'Cornwall'    stone 97 

Cost  data  on  oil  operations 35 

Counties,  mineral  production  of 16,   129-154 

Crushed    rock    90,     91 

Cryolite     40 

Cyanite   116  ■ 

Curbing 77 

Del    Norte    County 132 

Diamonds    102 

Diatomaceous    earth 106-107 

Dividends  bv   oil   companies 34 

Dolomite 98 

total   production    99 

Don  Manuel  Castanares,  cited 49 

Drain  tile 97 

Dredge  production  of  platinum 56 

Dredging,    gold 49 

Dumortierite    116 

Economic    conditions    changed 12 

Bl  Dorado  County 133 

Electric  smelting  of  ferro  alloys 51 

Eng.  and  Min.  Jour.,  cited 39,   44,   52,   60,      65 

Faience  tile   97 

Feldspar   99 

total   production   100 

Ferberite     63 

Ferguson  blocks 70 

Ferro-chrome  by  electric  furnace 51 

-manganese  by  electric  furnace 51 

-silicon    by    electric    furnace 51 

Fertilizers.      (See  Gypsum,   Limestone,   Phosphates,   Potash.) 

Filter     sand 89 

Fire     brick 70 

clay    97 

Flue  linings 97 

Fluorspar    100 

Freight,  proportion  of,  from  mines 12 

Fresno    County 133 

Fuels    18-36 

Fuller's    earth 100-102 

total    production 102 

Garnets    102,  103 

Gag.     (See  Natural  Gas.) 

Gasoline  from  natural  gas 21,  22 

Gavin,   M.    J.,    cited 114 

Gems    102-104 

total    production 104 

varieties    ,^^^__^^^^,„ 103 


INDEX.  171 

Page 

Geysers,    California,    radioactivity    at 111 

Glass    sand , 89,   115 

Glenn    County 134 

Gneiss,    for   gems 102 

Gold    37,    46-50 

production   by   counties,    1926 47 

total   production    49—50 

Goodyear,    W.    A.,    cited 19 

Granite    75-78 

production,     1887-1926 78 

varieties  of,   in  California 76 

Granules  for  roofing  and  stucco 91 

Graphite    104-105 

total   production   105 

Gravel   88 

Greenstone    granules 91 

Grinding  mill  pebbles 87 

Gypsum     105-106 

total    production 106 

uses    105 

Hanks,     Henry,     cited 25 

High-speed     steels 63 

Hill,  J.   M.,  cited 48,      61 

Hittell,  T.  H.,   cited 49 

Hoxlow  building  tile  or  blocks 68,      70 

Hubernite     63 

Humboldt     County 134 

Hyacinth     103 

Hydrargillite     40 

Hydrated    lime 78 

Hydrocarbons    18 

Imperial     County 135 

Industrial   materials    93-120 

Infusorial    earth 106 

total   production    107 

Inyo    County'    135 

lone  Brick  Co 69 

Iridium 56 

Iron  ore 37,  51 

electric  smelting  of 51 

total  production 51 

Jade 103 

Jasper  roofing  granules 91 

Jewelers'   materials.      (See  Gems.) 

Kaolin   97 

Keene's  cement 106 

j  Kelp,  potash  from 126 

[  Kern   County 136 

'   Kernite    122 

I  Kieselguhr    106 

Kings    County 136 

i  Knudsen  and  Mashaw,  cited 22 

Kunzite    — —  102,   103 

Lake   Count;" 137 

I  Lassen   County    137 

Lassen    Peak -^  149 

Lead 39,   51-53 

chart,  prices,  common 52 

trend  of  world  production 39 

production,   1887-1926   53 

Lepidolite    10° 

Lime    '* 

production,    1894-1926 79 

Limestone     l""~}„? 

dust    108 

production,     1894-1926 108 

storage  of  Pacific  Portland  Cement  Company 72 

Lithia    108 

Logan,   C.   A 18,    47,    48,      69 

Los   Angeles   County 137 


Macadam    90 

Madera  County .,„_^_^^_^-,_^_^-,_^,, —   138 


172  INDEX. 

Page 

Magnesite o? 

duty  on gi 

imports    of gi 

occurrence    of 2q 

producing    districts 'x 

production,     1887-1926 |^ 

uses  of -5V 

Magnesium    salts -"-^^ 

Manganese    ro 

imports  of,   from  Brazil ^^ 

total  production ^* 

Map.  outline  of  California,  showing  oil  fields ii 

Marble     

production,   1887-1926 83 

Marin   County   1^8 

Mariposa    County 139 

Mariposite    ^J 

Mar-John    Mine,    cobalt    in 43 

Marketing,  importance  of,  to  industrial  groups 12 

Medicinal   salts 127 

Melhase,   John,   cited 101 

Mendocino  County 139 

Mercantile  Trust  Review,  cited 49 

Merced   County 139 

Metals    37-66 

Mica    109 

Mineral   industry,   review  of 11-17 

output  by  counties 16,    129-154 

by  substances 14—15 

output,   comparative  value,    1924—1926 14 

paint    . 110 

production  of,  California,  totals  by  years,  since  1887 17 

water 110-112 

effect   of  prohibition    on 111 

production,    1887-1926 112 

Minerals,  total  production  of,  by  years 17 

variety  of,  produced  in  California _ 12, 

Mining  and  Scientific  Press,  cited 26; 

Mining  Bureau  Act 155i 

Miscellaneous  stone 86-92 

production,   1893-1926 92 

Modoc  County 140 

Molding    sand 89 

Molybdenum    54 

Mono     County 140 

Monterey  County 141J 

Montmorillonite     101,   102] 

Monumental   stone   77 

Morgan  ite 103 

Mother  Lode  in  Amador  County 47 

Napa    County 141  j 

Natural  gas 19-22  ' 

gasoline    from 21-22 

production,   1888-1926 21 

Nevada  County 141 

Nickel    55 

Nitrates 125 

Nitrogen,  atmospheric,  fixation  of 125  J 

Non-ferrous  metals,   world  production  of I 39 

Oil.     (See  Petroleum.) 

fields,  map  of  approximate  location  of ,32 

lands,    proved    36 

shale    114  -ji 

well  drilling  mud ~_     97     ■ 

Onyx    83 

Orange   County 142 

Osmiridium    55 

Otaylite     lOi 

Oxychloride    cement    §0 

Pacific   Portland   Cement   Company 72 

Palladium     56 

Paraffine     oils 28 

Paving  blocks 87 

Peat 18' 

Pebbles  for  grinding  mills ZZ Z  87  ■ 


INDEX.  173 

Page 

Petroleum     22-3G 

average  price  by  counties,  1916—1926 24 

capitalization 33 

dividends    from 34 

drilling   and   development 23,      27 

features   of,    1926 23 

financial  tables 33—35 

map  of  California,  approximate  location  of  oil  fields 32 

operating  costs  by  fields 35 

outlook    for    1927 23 

prices  by  fields 35 

production,    1875-1926 26 

Ijroduction  and  value  by  counties 24 

production   by  fields 28,   30-31 

production  of  light  and  heavy  gravities 28 

)iroduction    statistics,     1926 24 

proved  oil  land 36 

statistics    of    well    operations . 27 

storage     of : 29 

and  price  changes 23 

Wildcat    wells 27 

yield  per  day  of  wells 30,  31,     35 

Phosphates     112 

Placer  County 142 

Plaster   and   brick  sand 89 

Platinum     1 55-57 

consumption   of,    by   industries 56 

from    blister    copper 56 

prices     57 

production  of,    1887-1926 57 

stocks    57 

uses,  markets  and  consumption 56 

Plumas   County 143 

Porcelain    97 

Potash    ^ 126 

total  production  of 126 

Pottery  clays 95-98 

Proved  oil  land 36 

Publications  of  State  Mining  Bureau 160-168 

Pumice    112,  113 

Pyrites 113 

total  production — 113 

Quartz    102,  115 

crystals    102 

Quicksilver 37,   57-59 

imports  of 58 

production,    1850-1926 59 

production  of,  in  United  States 58 

prices 58 

uses  of 58 

Radioactivity  of  hot  springs 111 

Red  earthenware 97 

roofing   granules    91 

Rhodonite    103 

Riprap    90 

Riverside  County .- 143 

Roofing  granules 91 

sand    89 

slate   85 

tile — 85 

Rubble    90 

Rubies 103 

Ruthenium 56 

Sacramento  County 144 

Salines   121-128 

'Salt  cake' 128 

gjj^jj- _     127 

production^  1887-1926    _1II_ZIII I__III II_IIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIII  127 

San  Benito  County 144 

San  Bernardino  County 145 

San  Diego  County 146 

San  Francisco  Bulletin,  cited 24 

Chronicle,  cited 46 

County   146 

San  Joaquin  County 146 

San  Luis  Obispo  County 146 

San  Mateo  County ' 147 

Sand  and  gravel 88,     89 

Sandstone 83 

production,  1887-1926 84 

Sanitary  ware 97 


174  INDEX. 

Page 

Santa  Barbara  County 147 

Santa  Catalina  Island,  zinc  from 64,     66 

Santa  Clara  County 148 

Santa  Cruz  County 148 

Sapphires    102,  103 

Scheelite    62,     63 

Semi-vitreous    tableware 97 

Serpentine 84 

Sewer  pipe 97 

Shale  oil —  114 

Shasta  County 148 

Shoshonite 101 

■Sierra  County 149 

Silica 115,  116 

brick   70 

total  production 116 

Sillimanite 116 

Silver 37,   39,   59-61 

chart,  prices,  bar  silver 60 

production    by    counties 60 

production,     1880-1926 61 

Siskiyou  County 149 

Slag  for  railroad  ballast 91 

Slate ■ 85 

production,    1889-1926 86 

roofing     granules 91 

Soapstone   117-118 

total    production   118 

uses    117 

Soda     128 

total   production    128 

Solano  County 150 

Sonoma    County 150 

Spark   plugs,   andalusite   for 116 

Specific   gravities  of  oil  produced 28 

Spelter.      (See  Zinc.) 

Spessartite    102,   103 

Standard  Oil  Bulletin,   cited 29 

Company,  cited 28 

Stanislaus    County 151 

State  Mineralogist  Report,  cited 25,   26,      58 

list   of    160 

Mining    Bureau,    cited 12,     58 

Oil  and  Gas   Supervisor,   cited 23,    27,     29 

Steatite 117 

Stocks  of  copper   in  United   States 45 

platinum    in    United    States 57 

Stone,    miscellaneous 86-92 

production    by    counties 89-91 

production   by   years 92 

Stoneware     97 

Strontium   119 

Structural    materials 66-92  "', 

Stucco  dash,   granules  for 91   ' 

Sand     89 

Sulphur     119  - 

Sutter  County 151 


1171 
117? 


Talc     1] 

uses    

Tehama   County    151 

Terra    cotta , 97  ; 

Terrazzo,  granules  for 91,  107  ' 

Tile    97  ' 

Tin    62 

Topaz     102,  103 

Torbanite    113 

Tourmaline     102,  103 

Travertine    83 

Trinity    County 152 

Tube    mill    pebbles 87 

Tuff,   used  for  building  stone 77 

Tulare    County    152 

Tungsten 37,    62-64 

total    production 64 

Tuolumne     County 152 

Turquoise    103 

United  States  Bureau  of  Mines,  cited 22,  37,  44,  48,  50,  58,  61.  65,  114 

Census   Bureau,    cited 97 

Chamber    of    Commerce,    cited 12  i 

Geological  Survey,  cited 19,  50,  58,  61,     63 

Metal    requirements    of 38  t 


INDEX.  175 

Page 

P  Vanadium     ot 

"Ventura    County 153 

Vitrified  brick 70 

Volcanic    ash 112 

cinders    89 

Water  glass 115 

"\Vildcat  wells    (oil) 27-28 

Witherite    94 

Wolframite     63 

Yale,    Chas.    G.,    cited : 50 

Yolo    County 153 

Yuba  County 153 

Zinc    39,    64-66 

chart,   prices  slab  zinc 65 

trend  of  world  production 39 

flotation  plant,  on  Santa  Catalina  Island 66 

total    production 65 


55185     12-27     2500 


STATE  OF  CALIFORNIA 

DEPARTMEPiT  OF  NATURAL  RESOURCES 

FRED  G.  STEVENOT,  Director 

DIVISION  OF  MINES  AND  MINING 

FERRY  BUILDING,  SAN  FRANCISCO 
iLTER  W.  BRADLEY  State  Mineralogist 


Francisco] 


BULLETIN  No.  101 


[September,  1928 


CALIFORNIA 
INERAL  PRODUCTION 
FOR  1927 

LIB?  '  RY  COPV 


Fn 


Saa  F 


Apy 


<re279 


CALIFO&NIA  STATE  PBINTINa  OPFIC£ 
SACRAMENTO,  102  8 


